Peaceful protest in Jos, as mammoth crowd match major streets

 

  Contrary to the vague notions and fears that the “EndbadGovernance” protest in Plateau State might be hijacked by some criminal elements, Jos, the capital city of Plateau State, witnessed a peaceful and mammoth turn out.

    The crowd converged as early as 8am at the Secretariat junction flyover and peacefully matched to Old Airport round about in an orderly procession amidst tight security.

     The security arrangement was strategic and perfectly made as personnel were stationed at sensitive and flash points of the city. People who did not participate in the protest were going on with their normal routine duties.

     The protesters were seen carrying Nigeria’s flags and placards with different printed inscriptions projecting: “We need a Nigeria where accountability and prudence is a national culture; A Nigeria that is free of corruption and ethnicity;  A Nigeria that is free of religious tolerance; We need political correctness; There is hunger in the land; Bring back fuel subsidy; Revise electricity tariff  and Enough is Enough respectively.

     Addressing the crowd, the Convener of Initiative for Better and Brighter Nigeria (IBBN), Prophet Dr. Isa El-Buba, stressed on the hunger and suffering that Nigerians were tight to and called on the President to jettison some of his policies that has brought untold hardship on people now.

    He, emphasised on the need to revise the removal of fuel subsidy and the hike in electricity tariff as well as the reduction of the high cost of living which were some of the main demands of the protesters.

     The Representative of the Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Steve Aloko, called on the protesters to be peaceful and forward their demands to the Federal Government.

      He, however, urged Government at all levels to end bad governance at all cost saying, “we want to tell the government that Nigerians are hungry and there is need to end the hunger now. And the earlier the better.

      “We expect government to be more positive. If they allowed their positives to be negative, it is going to have a negative effect on them”, Aloko enthused.

     However, the Command’s 001 and Commissioner of  Police in the State, CP Emmanuel Olugbemiga Adesina psc, led other sister security agencies to ensure that Plateau State was peaceful.