Protesters in Bayelsa State swarmed major roads in Yenagoa to join the nationwide “End Bad Governance” protest against economic hardship.
The aggrieved protesters said they were out to demand action from the government to end the high cost of living and hunger.
The protest created a lull on socio-economic activities.
There were however reports that some hoodlums attacked the #Endbadgovernance protesters around the Biogbolo axis of the Meldord Okilo Road.
The End Bad Governance protesters chanted solidarity songs and carried placards with various inscriptions such as ‘Kill Corruption before corruption kills us all’, ‘Restore fuel subsidy and reduce the price of petroleum products now’, ‘We are dying of hunger in our own country’, ‘We are suffering so much now’, ‘We can no longer feed our children’, ‘Give us affordable education and health care’ among others.
The protesters, mostly youths and women, marched through the Yenagoa-Mbiama Road and the Melford Okilo Road defying the morning showers to register their grievances.
Some of them who spoke to journalists including Philemon Patrick from Ekeremor, Bolo Tamuno from Sabagriea in Kolokuma-Opokuma LGA and Sunday Nweke said they joined the protest to express their frustration over the unbearable high cost of living, poverty and hunger.
Checks within Yenagoa and other towns in Bayelsa by our Reporter indicate that there was heavy deployment of police and other security agents at strategic locations.
Despite a directive by the Bayelsa State government to civil servants to go to work, only few staff were at their duty posts at the State and Federal Secretariat Complexes with most offices scanty as the time of sending the report.
Also, many shops, private businesses and financial institutions such as banks were under lock and key with owners milling around.
Speaking to journalists a business man who pleaded anonymity said they were afraid of eventual attack or vandalization of their stores,hence they decided to lock their stores and remained to watch over them.
He however, blamed the Federal government for the hunger inflicted on them by excruciating economic policies,urging president Bola Ahmed Tunubu to rescind most of the debilitating policies.
