From George Onyejiuwa
The #EndBadGovernance# protest which kicked off on 1 August was shunned by youths of Imo State as those in Owerri, the capital observed the usual sit-at-home order; all major markets, business complexes and commercial banks did not open.
However, in contrast to Monday’s sit-at-home, Owerri is back to business as the residents are going about their legitimate businesses as no protest is going on.
However, policemen are stationed at strategic junctions in the capital metropolis and every entry points to the state.
Ugo Mere, the President of Umuonyeche community in Owerri Municipal, said that the youths of the council
are not interested in protests as the youths are trying to find their daily bread.
“The youths from my community did not join the protests like several other youths organisations in the South East.
“We are only interested in how to get our daily bread and don’t want to be involved in protests. You can observe that Owerri is peaceful since yesterday ( Monday), and today people are doing their business.”
Similarly, Dr Harold Wilson Omumo, Chairman Board of Trustees of Imo Youth Assembly, said that people are not too disposed to such protests as that would not solve the problem of hunger and hardship imposed on the people of Nigeria.
“The State is calm and we thank God for that because if any protests had taken place here we would have had casualties as it would have been hijacked by miscreants.
“Again, the protests will not solve the problem of hunger and hardship as this present government has no programme on how to tackle the economic woes of the country.
“We also know the protests will not make Tinubu and his government reverse the fuel subsidy removal, the government cannot also re-value the devalued Naira. So, what will be the essence of coming out to protest?”