Some of the organisers of the the nationwide #FearlessInOctober protest have lamented low turnout of youths at the demonstration which commenced in Osogbo, Osun State capital on Tuesday morning.
At about 8:30am when some of the protesters converged at Old Garage, their number was very scanty.
Checks by The Point as at that time showed that the number of security operatives outnumbered that of the available protesters.
When our correspondent approached one of the leaders of the EndBadGovernanceProtest, he craved anonymity, saying “the truth is that some of us have been bought.”
Another organiser said President Bola Tinubu’s 64th Independence Anniversary speech where he made mention of a forthcoming youth conference, would have made some of the youths in the state change their minds as regards the struggle, stating, “Some of our youths decided not to show up again after hearing of the Youth Conference. They felt that participating in the protest may disqualify them from being picked.”
All the same, the protest, organised by the coalition for concerned Nigerians, started fully at about 10:00 am with the protesters, whose number had increased, singing anti-government songs and displaying placards with several inscriptions.
The protesters said the demonstration was a reaction to governments’ failure to address the economic hardship in the country.
They had gathered at the Nelson Mandela Freedom Park, Osogbo, and later moved to the Oke Fia Area of the state capital.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency and the Correctional Service moved along with the protesters to forestall break down of law and order.
Addressing journalists, the coordinator of the groups which organised the protest, Adetunji Ajala, said President Bola Tinubu’s administration has brought nothing but pain to the citizens.
He said, “It is so sad that those in power now do not pity the masses. They squander our collective resources and bring policies that make life unbearable for the masses.
“Enough is enough. Our demands during the EndBadGovernance protest have not been met, and we will continue protesting as long as they are not willing to do what the masses want.”
Meanwhile, many residents shunned the protest and embarked on their daily businesses.
