Protest: Fubara pledges commitment to improved quality of life

Gov. Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers has reiterated his administration’s commitment to implementing policies that will positively impact the residents of the state.

Fubara made the expression while addressing EndBadGovernance protesters at the state government house on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

The governor said that his government was already undertaking programmes that would make life easier and more meaningful for the Rivers people.

He thanked the protesters for their orderly and peaceful conduct, saying that he feels the pain meted out to the people by the current economic challenges.

Fubara said that the fear of the government was the possibility of hoodlums taking advantage of the exercise to destroy public facilities.

“I want to thank you for being peaceful. I already know your problems; we shall communicate them to the Federal Government.

“It is not easy, but we know quite well that very soon everything will be well, starting with our state.

“Please support the government and its policies. The first phase of policy implementation can sometimes be harsh and difficult, but in the end, everything will be fine.

“We agree that there is hunger; with the right steps, hunger will go, but we don’t want you to engage in violent activities,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (8NAN) reports that protesters gathered at the Federal Secretariat Complex and the Government House to draw the government's attention to their demands.

The exercise, which did not show any sign of seriousness in the morning hours, gathered momentum later as the protesters defied the rain to make their voices heard.

NAN reports that a heavy security presence greeted the protest march along the Port Harcourt-Aba Motorway and that some streets in the city were without vehicular movements.

The protesters held placards stating, “End bad governance, Enough is enough, End hunger in the land, and Nigerians are ready for a new Naija,” among others.

The organisers of the protest are calling for a reduction in food inflation and a reversal of the recent electricity tariff increases, among other demands.

Some of the protesters expressed dissatisfaction with the current government’s attitude towards the economic challenges in the country.

Victor Ameh, a businessman, said that he had no other option than to join the protest and demand an immediate end to the hardship in the country.

He said that high operating costs forced him to shut down his transportation business a few months ago.

“So the protest is to inform the government about the excruciating hardship that Nigerians are facing,’’ he said.

Chimelem Amadi, a barber, said that participation in the peaceful march that took off at Pleasure Park, Aba Road, increased steadily as more people joined.

“It is not true that hoodlums will hijack the exercise; we have been here without weapons; we only have placards to convey our message.

“No hungry person will resort to violence. We cannot sit silent and remain hungry,” he said.

Another protester, Comfort Umesi, commended the security agencies for being professional in their approach to the exercise.

“They didn’t harass anyone; they were just ensuring law and order. So you can see that the exercise is proceeding peacefully and smoothly,” he said.