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Hunger Protests Paralyse Commercial Activities In Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, Others

Nationwide protests against hunger and bad governance erupted across Nigeria, yesterday, as citizens vent their frustration over the country’s prevailing economic hardship.
While many demonstrations were peaceful, pockets of violence were reported in various regions as the #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria protest entered Day One, yesterday.
The nationwide protest, which aims to address various socio-economic grievances, brought economic activities in Lagos, Rivers, Kaduna, Kano and many other States to a near standstill.
In Lagos State, traders observed their weekly sanitation exercise which is held every Thursday and ends by 10 am.
In what coincided with the commencement of the protest, the usually bustling markets in the state remained shut after the exercise.
Major markets in Ikotun, Egbeda, Iyana Ipaja, Dopemu, and Akowonjo, Ayobo were all shut.
There was also a similar sight in the Ikeja and Agege and Ojota areas of the state.
A few traders were however seen loitering around the market areas, anticipating the turn of events, while some residents were seen clustered around their communities, discussing the developments.
Banks and filling stations were also closed down in these areas.
Meanwhile, heavy security presence was sighted along these areas as they were seen manning strategic locations.
The protest tagged, “Days of Rage” would hold nationwide from August 1 to 10.
In Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, a large number of protesters converged opposite the Federal Secretariat, Port Harcourt as early as 9am. They, thereafter, marched to the Government House, Port Harcourt, where the State Governor, Sir Siminialayi Fubara, addressed them.
While addressing the protesters in front of Government House, Fubara said, “I thank you for being peaceful. I thank you for coming. I feel your pain. I want to assure you that I will deliver your message to the President.
“Here in Rivers State, we will do everything to make life better. But all we need from you is to support the Federal Government. We know there is hunger but just be patient with the government.”
Some of the protesters who spoke to newsmen called on President Bola Tinubu to address the grievances of the protesters.
They decried the excruciating hardship in the country and called for a return to the fuel subsidy regime.
The police were also seen at strategic locations across the city.
Major streets in Port Harcourt were deserted due to the protest.
The popular Oil Mill market was deserted while others areas such as First and Second Artillery witnessed low activities. Similarly low activities were witnessed at the popular Mile One market.
Our correspondent who moved round the city also observed that most commercial enterprises such as banks and filling stations were shut, while a handful of civil servants turned up for work at the state Secretariat.
Major roads such as the Aba-Port Harcourt Express Road witnessed low traffic as few commercial and private vehicles were seen on the road.
At Artillery, some protesters were seen displaying the Nigerian flag.
There was, however, a twist to the protest when some Keke drivers at the Location Junction in Port Harcourt blocked the road and brought out N200 and N100 notes and teared them to show the worthlessness of the Nigerian currency.
In Kaduna, the protests which began peacefully around the popular NEPA roundabout in the metropolis, turned violent as the protesters attempted to force themselves into the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House.
But the protesters vandalised government property including the office of the Kaduna State Traffic Law Enforcement Agency along the Sokoto Road in the heart of the state.
Part of the office was burnt while furniture and some property in the office were carted away leading to the arrest of 25 protesters
The Kaduna State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, ASP, said those arrested attempted to hijack a peaceful protest.
According to the spokesman, the protesters had been instructed to submit their details to ensure a peaceful demonstration.
“However, some elements within the group defied this directive and turned violent, attempting to breach the Government House and damaging a police armoured vehicle,” he said.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Sani Kila, who visited the scene said, “We have gone round the state and all is calm.”
He also denied the imposition of a 24-hour-curfew in the state as reported by some media.
In Kano State, hoodlums looted the newly built Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) Industrial Park just days before its scheduled launch.
The Digital Innovation Park, designed to support Nigeria’s technical talent accelerator program (3MTT), was reportedly set ablaze and looted during the protests.
Photos circulating online show youths leaving the scene with looted items, including computers, furniture, and electronics.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, who confirmed the incident, lamented the destruction of the technology hub.
“Sad to learn that our Digital Innovation Park in Kano slated for launch next week to support our technical talent accelerator (3MTT) has been set ablaze and looted by protesters,” Tijani stated in a post via X, yesterday.
Tijani highlighted the immediate impact of this destruction on the planned initiatives.
“Alongside #3MTT, this building is set to host our buildathon holiday maker programme for secondary school kids starting next week,” he added.
The minister characterised the damage as a setback for the journey to deepening the workforce for technology and creating job opportunities for the youth.
“Millions of Naira down the drain,” Tijani lamented.
In Calabar, Cross River State, several journalists and activists were beaten, handcuffed, and taken by security agents to unknown locations in the State.
The Managing Editor of an online newspaper, CrossRiverWatch, Mr Jonathan Ugbal, was among the arrested journalists.
It was gathered that they were taken by security personnel, along with other activists who engaged in a peaceful protest to an undisclosed location.
The journalists were following some activists around the popular Mary Slessor Roundabout in Calabar, where a handful of protesters had gathered to commence the 10-day nationwide protest.
While monitoring the protest, Ugbal had allegedly posted a video in the morning showing that the surrounding roads to the Mary Slessor Roundabout were deserted.
In a rare display of youthful activism, children aged 8-13 and youths took to the streets of Jalingo in Taraba State to protest the prevailing hardships.
The children chanted, “Bamu ai, bamu ai,” which translates to “We don’t agree, we don’t agree,” to draw attention to the challenges they are going through.
The protest began on the popular Hamaruwa Way and proceeded towards the flyover bridge, a notable landmark in the city.
The participants, primarily children and teenagers, were vocal about their grievances, demanding immediate action to alleviate their suffering.
The protesters were closely monitored by personnel from the police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
However, the nationwide protest suffered a setback in the South East as Igbos shunned the hunger protest. Instead, they opted for a sit-at-home
In Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu States, many residents stayed indoors as there was no unusual assembly of people and protests, even though some shops were closed, including banks.
The boycott was in compliance with the directives of the Pan-Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, that the South East should stay away from the protests.
In Enugu State, for instance, residents observed the nationwide anti-hardship and misgovernance protest through sit-at-home.
The Tide source who went round the state capital reports that economic and social activities were paralysed as residents deserted roads.
Shops, petrol stations, malls, and event centres were completely shut down as of 10.am.
Although entrance gates of major markets in Enugu such as Ogbete Main Market, New Market, Abakpa Market, and Emene Market were thrown open, there was nobody in those markets.
At ShopRite and SPAR Market, only security operatives were seen moving around.
At Okpara Square, only fierce-looking soldiers and policemen were seen occupying the entrance and road leading into the square.
While the gate of Enugu State High Court was open, no worker was inside except two security men at the entrance gate. At the Federal High Court, the gate was under lock and key.
Commending the Igbo people worldwide for their steadfast support and adherence to the decision to abstain from the nationwide protests, the Secretary-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, in a statement yesterday, said, “We, the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, wish to express our profound gratitude to all Igbos at home and in the diaspora for their unwavering commitment to the decision to boycott the nationwide protests.
“The South East region has shown remarkable unity and resilience in standing against external pressures and manipulations aimed at using the Igbo as sacrificial lambs for selfish political agenda.
“The South-East’s total compliance with the directive to abstain from the protests is a testament to the newfound sense of unity and determination among Ndigbo to put an end to the systematic manipulation and exploitation by certain unpatriotic elements and privileged elite.”
However, top government personalities, groups, and religious bodies, including the Christian Association of Nigeria, the Muslim Student Society of Nigeria (Lagos chapter), and the Muslim Rights Concern, and several other stakeholders in the country have called for the cancellation of the protest, citing a palpable fear that it might be hijacked by infiltrators who do not mean well for the country.
Boye Salau & John Bibor
News
Tinubu Appoints Four Nominees Into NCDMB Governing Council

President Bola Tinubu has approved the nomination of four new members to the Governing Council of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement yesterday, said the appointment is to fill existing vacancies and strengthen the board’s capacity.
The statement said the approved nominees are Mr. Olusegun Omosehin of the National Insurance Commission and Engr. Wole Ogunsanya of the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria.
Tinubu also endorsed the nomination of Sam Onyechi, who represents the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum and Barrister Owei Oyanbo from the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
The President encouraged the new members to leverage their expertise and dedication to enhance local content development within Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.
It added, “The nominations arose from the exit of previous institutional representatives from the Governing Council.
“The NCDMB Governing Council, established under Section 69 of the Nigerian Oil and Gas Industry Content Development Act, 2010, comprises representatives from key institutions.
“These include the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, the Petroleum Technology Association of Nigeria, the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum, and the National Insurance Commission.”
News
NDDC To Construct Hostels, Roads In UNIPORT – Ogbuku

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has announced plans to construct additional hostels, rehabilitate roads, and enhance power supply in the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT).
NDDC’s Managing Director, Dr Samuel Ogbuku, disclosed this during a visit to the commission’s headquarters in Port Harcourt, yesterday by a delegation from the UNIPORT’s Governing Council.
Ogbuku stated that the NDDC had committed to upgrading facilities at UNIPORT as part of efforts to foster partnership with educational institutions across the Niger Delta.
According to him, the implementation of additional projects at the university forms part of a broader strategy to improve education standards in the region.
“Aside from the construction of new hostel blocks and installation of a 300 KVA solar inverter system, the NDDC will also facilitate more projects in the university.
“The commission will also deploy its engineers to assess the condition of UNIPORT’s roads and hostels for potential rehabilitation,” he said.
Ogbuku noted that upon completion, the projects would add to various initiatives previously undertaken by the commission at the university.
“These and other projects reflect our commitment to actualising President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda in the Niger Delta region,” he added.
He reaffirmed the NDDC’s dedication to fostering development and strengthening partnerships across the region.
Earlier, Sen. Mao Ohuanbunwa, Chairman of UNIPORT’s Governing Council, who led the delegation commended the current leadership of the NDDC for its achievements in accelerating development in the Niger Delta.
He highlighted the university’s infrastructural challenges, noting that it lacked adequate facilities to accommodate its growing student population, and appealed for the NDDC’s support in addressing the shortfall.
“Currently, UNIPORT has a total student population of about 50,000, while its hostel accommodation capacity can only cater for 5,000 students.
“We therefore urge the NDDC to assist in the construction of additional hostels, improve transportation facilities, and facilitate the acquisition of gas turbines to enhance power supply for our students,” Ohuanbunwa pleaded.
The Vice Chancellor of UNIPORT, Prof. Owunari Georgewill, commended NDDC for its impactful projects across the Niger Delta and extended an invitation to the commission to participate in the institution’s forthcoming 50th anniversary celebrations.
News
Senate Rejects Motion To Rename INEC Headquarters After Humphrey Nwosu

The Senate has rejected a motion to rename the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters after the former chairman of the defunct National Electoral Commission, late Prof Humphrey Nwosu.
Nwosu presided over the June 12, 1993, presidential election, which was truncated by the former military President, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd).
The election which was won by the late business mogul, Chief MKO Abiola, was adjudged to be the freest and fairest in the electoral history of Nigeria.
The motion to rename INEC after Nwosu was re-sponsored by Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe yesterday after lawmakers threw it out last Wednesday.
Abaribe called for posthumous national honours to be conferred on Nwosu in recognition of his role in Nigeria’s democratic evolution.
However, the proposal sparked a heated debate once again, with lawmakers deeply divided over Nwosu’s legacy.
Senator Osita Ngwu acknowledged that Nwosu operated under a military regime, which restricted his ability to announce the results.
He argued that “there was no way he would have announced the results with a gun to his head. That doesn’t change the fact that some of us see him as a hero.”
Senator Austin Akobundu, however, described it as most uncharitable for lawmakers to dismiss Nwosu’s contributions, insisting that he deserved a place in Nigeria’s hall of honour.
On the other hand, several senators like Senator Jimoh Ibrahim dismissed the idea outright, questioning why the Senate should honour someone who failed to announce the results insisting that “nothing should be named after him”.
Senator Cyril Fasuyi argued that history does not reward efforts, but only results.
“As long as he did not announce the result, whether under duress or not, I am against naming INEC headquarters after him,” he submitted.
Also, Senator Sunday Karimi criticised Nwosu for lacking the courage to speak out, while Senator Afolabi Salisu warned that immortalising him would undermine the memory of MKO Abiola, the widely accepted winner of the June 12, 1993, annulled election.
“Any attempt to do anything beyond a one-minute silence is to rubbish Abiola’s legacy,” he tendered.
After intense deliberation, most senators rejected the motion through a voice vote.
They, however, agreed to honour him with a one-minute silence and extend condolences to his family, effectively dismissing the other prayers to immortalise Nwosu.
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