Despite the cancellation of the nationwide protest slated for tomorrow by popular musician, Innocent Idibia, a group of youths and activists in Oyo State under the umbrella of Oyo Voice has vowed not to be perturbed but go ahead with the protest in major cities in the state tomorrow.
The group while dissociating themselves from the musician’s rally demanded immediate reversal of all prices of goods and services in the country by the Federal Government. Oyo Voice insisted that protest will go as planned in Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomoso and Saki and other major cities in the state as from 7.30am.
While speaking at an emergency press conference held at the University of Ibadan Sunday afternoon, conveners of the group, Tokunbo Salako and Babatunde Badmus informed that despite the cancellation of the planned protests by the artiste fondly known as 2Face for whatever reasons no one can stop them from embarking on the protest.
They said one of the reasons why the protest will continue is to tell government to immediately reduce the pay and allowances of all political holders in order to change things for better in the country.
The former Presidents of UI Student Union insisted that the group is a group of concerned citizens and residents of the state which comprises students, workers, unemployed youths, artisans and members of civil society organization and not in any way affiliated to any political group.
The duo maintained that the motive of the protest is to give the dissatisfied people the voice for a better future.
“This is with a view to provide a voice for the growing angers and mass dissatisfaction of the Nigeria working people particularly suffering people in Oyo State against continuous failure of both the present and past Nigeria government regardless of political affiliation and level of governance to effect any significant improvement in both their living and working condition of mass of the Nigeria working but suffering people.
“It is important to state that OYO VOICE is an independent initiative that has no affiliation or link with ONE VOICE, a group that is allegedly formed or initiated by Mr Tuface Idibia, a popular hip-pop musician whom initially fixed 6th of February for a mass action in four major Nigeria city which he has also reportedly cancelled for a reason best known to him.
“Despite the fact that Oyo State was not listed by Tuface as part of the state he hope to staged his mass action, the kind of response we of the OYO VOICE has been receiving from good people in the state since his declaration that his group ONE VOICE will longer be part of the February 6th action has compelled us to organized this kind of press conference with a view to: Dissociate ourselves from Tuface declaration. This is with a view to call on mass of Oyo state people that the mass action slated to hold tomorrow 6th February 2017 by OYO VOICE will still go on as planned.
“This is to encourage students, youths, workers, artisans, tradesmen and women who are dissatisfied with the state of the Nigeria economy and interested in a genuine and positive change to come out on Monday 6th February, 2017 to join the protest as a step toward identifying with OYO VOICE initiative.
“It so painful to state that after nearly two years in power, the Buhari/APC government has failed woefully. Things are worse now than before. The rising cost of living is unbearable for the vast majority. High hope invested in Buhari by many Nigerians seeking genuine change is being shattered amidst growing disillusionment.
“Contrary to his campaign promises, President Buhari has carried out vicious attacks on the living standard of ordinary people. Buhari-led government claimed to be fighting corruption but it has been largely one-sided and hypocritical. For instance, the Secretary to the federal government, Mr. Babachir Lawal was alleged by the Senate to have awarded a contract worth N270 million originally meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) in the North-East to a company (Rholavision Limited) he has vested interest in and Buhari has protected him under spurious excuse.
“The Buhari’s government is incapable of reversing the growing inequality, hopelessness, poverty, high cost of living and despondency. Under this government, electricity generation has become more epileptic despite giving the private electricity companies over N200 billion. Yet the tariff has continued to go higher. Since Obasanjo regime over $20 billion has been invested in the power sector with most of it invested in the Independent Power Project (IPP) with nothing to show for it. Most of our roads are in deplorable state while the housing sector is as chaotic as Lagos traffic.
“Buhari’s government campaigns that Nigerians should patronize made-in-Nigeria goods but he travels regularly for health treatment in UK spending scarce forex whereas most of our hospitals are in shambles. Last year Buhari spent about N20 million for his ear ailment while abandoning the ENT specialist hospital in Kaduna. The ruling class does not have belief in this country- their children school abroad while our public schools are left to rot.
“Job loss is on the increase as over 3 million workers have lost their jobs in the last 2 years. Official inflationary rate is 18.55% as at December 2016 but the prices of some basic commodities have gone up by more than one hundred percent. According to the Manufacturing Association of Nigeria (MAN), 50 factories closed down in 2016, unsold goods in the manufacturing sector stand at N100 billion while capacity utilization is down to 40%.
“Despite the growing economic hardship, workers are not only paid poverty wage, many particularly in several states across the federation are paid a fraction of their salary while political office holders and top management staff in private companies earn jumbo salaries and allowances and live a life of opulence. Indeed, workers in about 27 states are being owed salaries of up to 7 months. While pensioners are being owned for as much as 70 months, 27 states recently spent over N37.4 billion to pay pension of 47 ex-governors.
“Rice is now about N19, 000 and the quantity of Local Rice is so insignificant to alter the price of rice; Kerosene and diesel are now about N290 and N300 per litres respectively but we were told that deregulation will bring down the price; cooking gas has gone up from N3, 200 to N4, 500 and up to N6, 000 in some states of the federation despite the fact that it is produced in Nigeria and not so much affected by forex. Last year when the Buhari government ended fuel subsidy and increased petrol price to N145 per litre, the promise was that competition will make the price go down. 9 months after not only has this not happened but there are now indications that the government and marketers are planning another increment.
“In the same way deregulation has failed in the oil industry, devaluation has further worsened the foreign exchange crisis; privatization has compounded the woes in the electricity sector. Side by side the abysmal failure of these pro-rich policies and the creation of more poor people, more privileged persons have become stupendously rich.
The group while lamenting the unfavourable socio-economic condition which has added to the suffering of the people demanded Reversal of prices of food items, kerosene, cooking gas, electricity and petrol back to pre-2016 levels.
“Immediate payment of backlog of salaries and pensions being owed in 27 states, N56, 000 national minimum wage, a monthly unemployment allowance to be paid to all unemployed persons, Immediate public-sector led job creation drive to ensure the creation of decent and minimum wage jobs with union rights, Immediate reversal of fee hikes in all public Universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. Adequate funding of public education and improvement in the pay and working conditions of staff
Oyo Voice also called for Improved funding and upgrade of all public hospitals and improvement in the pay and working conditions of medical staff, diligent prosecution of all those indicted or on trial for corruption and if convicted, they should be jailed and made to forfeit the proceeds of corruption, drastic reduction in the cost of governance.
It also suggested the cut in the pay and allowances of all political office holders, freeze on costly overseas trip for medical check-up, reversal of privatization of the power sector because it has failed. For a publicly-owned power sector under democratic management.
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