Drivers, traders and commuters in different parts of Lagos, including Yaba, Ojuelegba, and Ikeja, have shared their thoughts on the ongoing nationwide #EndBadGovernance protest that commenced on Thursday.
The residents FIJ spoke with had mixed reactions about the ongoing protests. While some had high hopes of the protests yielding positive results, others were dismissive.
Nigerians have been protesting against economic hardship long before the #EndBadGovernance protest, both on social media and physically. Two examples were the February and June protests against the high cost of living, insufficient minimum wage and economic crises bedevilling many citizens.
The reasons for these protests are not far-fetched. The inflation rate and the cost of goods and services have been high for months. Unfavourable economic policies are equally threatening the survival of thriving businesses.
While Lagos protesters converged on the Freedom Park in Ojota on Thursday, FIJ visited Yaba, Ojelegba, Oshodi and Ikeja to know what residents thought of the protest.
Wasiu Onanuga, a commercial bus driver who makes a living conveying passengers from Yaba to Ojuelegba, said the government was feeding fat while the poor masses were left to starve.
“The essence of the protest is to make the government have mercy on us, the poor masses,” Onanuga said.
“We are suffering. The government is well-fed, but we are starving. The protest has been peaceful so far. The protesters are not violent. So, the government has to do something about our plight.”
When asked about the impact of the protest on his business, he said, “I won’t deny that the protest is affecting the number of passengers we have been seeing. We know that many people are not outside. We just decided to come out to work just to warm our vehicles.”
Also at Yaba, Anthony, a young Nigerian who works in the private sector, told FIJ that he supported the protest because it could yield the desired outcomes.
Anthony, however, stressed the need for the protesters to have clear demands. “The government thinks we are not ready, but the country is always ready. There is hunger in the land, and we, the youths, don’t have any choice but to protest,” he said.
Some traders at Yaba and Ojuelegba also told FIJ that no Nigerian is exempted from the brunt of the economic hardship, hence the significance of the protest.
Traders at Ojuelegba
Two commercial drivers at Ojuelegba, who refused to disclose their names, expressed mixed feelings about the protest.
Öne of the drivers, who was smoking in the backseat of a bus when FIJ approached him, said, “I think the protest is good and bad at the same time. If we do it, that man’s power (the president) will come down a little.
“I think it’s bad because of its restriction to Ketu and Ojota. If people protest elsewhere, they could be fired. I will join if people are allowed to protest right here in Ojuelegba. I can’t back the world; I will face where the world faces. I just want everything happening in this country to be settled.”
The second driver, who stood close to the entrance of the bus where his colleague was smoking, lamented the worrisome state of the economy and the prevailing high cost of living.
“I didn’t go out to protest because I am a motorist. I came out to hustle. We spend so much to send our children to school now. We spent more than our parents did when they sent us to school,” he told FIJ.
“Schools are telling us to bring N12,000 for our children in kindergarten. There is no N50 garri anymore; N100 worth of garri is not enough for a child. Even graduates don’t have money. Out leaders should have mercy on us.”
In Ikeja, Bola Lawal, selling snacks, said Nigerians will experience ease and comfort when the government effectively addresses the high cost of living.
While noting that the protest was for the good of all Nigerians, considering that everyone was feeling the impact of the hardship, she was optimistic about the protest.
“Is the current economic situation good enough? No! Don’t you know the current cost of a rubber of garri? Things have never been this expensive in this country,” Lawal said.
“Or has it? So, this is what every one of us should fight for. The government should kindly answer us and reduce the high cost of food items.
“The government can’t keep folding their arms, watching as things are going. I pray this protest will change the government’s mind so that the high cost of items will decrease.”
When asked about the impact of the protest on her business, she said, “Well, it’s affecting sales, but what choice do we have? The protest is for our own good. It’s for our sake.”
