…as civil society groups converge at Ring Road
…as peaceful protest records large turnout
Benin City, the Edo State Capital, woke up to a slow start today, Thursday, August 1, as the nationwide protest called by civil society groups kick-off to highlight to the Federal Government, the mounting discomforts being endured by the general populace, stemming from the sharply rising cost of goods and services, including food, and seek reliefs.
At the Kings Square, protesters were seen milling, while teams of policemen kept watch.
The protesters put on black and white T-Shirts with the inscription “Civil Society Management Team” and carried placards with the inscriptions:” Say No To Bad Governance” and “End Bad Governance”.
Some of the protesters were heard expressing fears that miscreants and mischief makers might attempt to hijack the stand-up.
Moving around Benin City Between 7am and 8.0 am Thursday, our reporters observed a marked lull in motor traffic flow and although commercial buses were available, there was a noticeable decline in the number of taxis on the streets compared to that time on a typical work day.
Also, in neighbourhoods around Ring Road, the city’s commercial hub, as well as Ekenhuan Road and the Airport Road axis, bands of residents gathered, apparently to observe the mood of the day and exchange views about the protest.
Their discussions tended to dwell on rising cost of living and security concerns.
Along these routes, early-riser businesses, including fuel stations, banks, building materials stores and larger retail stores among others, stayed firmly shut. Some neighbourhood food canteens opened tentatively, keeping an eye out for the mood on the streets.
Along Ekunhuan and Akpakpava Roads, commercial banks including First Bank, GT Bank, Union Bank, Zenith Bank EcoBank, Keystone Bank, Polaris Bank and Access Bank and others remained closed. Security personnel at some of the banks told customers that while the banking halls were unlikely to open, the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) points might be opened to already milling customers later in the day, following security observation. That did not happen.
Point of Sale (PoS) machine operators, typically ubiquitous and resilient, could be seen dispensing cash to the public for commissions but even they, appeared cautious and tended to operate in the back streets.
In and around the premises of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Akpakpava Street, fully armed policemen were seen in combat gear and on the alert, with an armoured personnel carrier on the sidewalk.
In and around King’s Square protesters sang, danced and chanted slogans complaining about the rising cost of living and criticisng Federal Government policies to which they attributed the hardship.
All the while loud music was blaring from amplified speakers.
Some of the song constantly repeated were ‘Nigeria Jagaja’ and ‘As he dey pain dem he dey sweet us’.
The protesters later broke up into small groups and marched around major streets in the city, including Airport Road, Ekenhuan Road, Ring Road, Akpakpava and Mission Road, chanting slogans, waving leaves and placards, singing, dancing and chanting slogan as large crowds of youths watched from the fringes.
The processions were generally orderly, with police keeping a distance and being genial when they came face to face with the crowd.
