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Economic Hardship: CSO Gives FG Ultimatum, Threatens Nationwide Protest

Published

2 years ago

February 10, 2024

Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO), has given the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to urgently end the suffering in Nigeria with two weeks, threatening that failure to do so will lead to mass protest.

The civil society organisations gave the ultimatum in Benin City, the Edo State capital, during its General Assembly on Saturday.

Reading a statement jointly signed by Comrade Austine Enabulele,
Interim Technical Committee Chairman, and Comrade Grace Okike, Interim Technical Committee Secretary, EDOCSO, the organisations lamented that the economic hardship in the land is becoming unbearable.

“We want to state clearly that failure for the federal government to swing into emergency action to end this HUNGER and economic suffering in Nigeria within the next two week the President and his Vice should resign so we can elect a better leader, or we at Edo Civil Society Organisations (EDOCSO) will have no option than to mobilize other citizens all over the country on a Tinubu/Shetima must go protest, and we shall ensure a change in the leadership of Nigeria government to prove that indeed section 14 subsection 2a can be activated by any person elected into place of leadership.

“We shall ensure a better tomorrow for Nigerians and not this present better yesterday than we are currently experiencing. Let’s not be discouraged by the show of ineptitude of our leaders but focus on taking back our country from the hands of greedy politicians,” they added.

According to the civil society organisations, since the first day President Tinubu took over the leadership of Nigeria, “the country has known no peace in terms of our daily living.”

The EDOCSO added: “Beginning from the increase in fuel price till date, continuous rising of dollar that has affected everything in Nigeria including farm produce that comes from the local farms to our markets today, this has made the saying that whatever goes up must surely come down an irony, considering Dollar-naira exchange rate and suffering in Nigeria.”

They continued: “With dismay, pain and agony we have watched Nigerians groan in pains even when we try to assist as individuals from our own personal struggles is still never enough, and this has led to the continuous rising of suicide being committed by Nigerians everyday because they can no longer bear the hunger and sufferings, women are turning to widows and men widowers, children becoming fatherless or motherless all because, parents can no longer bear the pains of watching their children suffering, as a result of not being able to provide a meal for their children.”

According to EDOCSO, “Is it the crime that has increased all over the 36 states including the FCT, everyday we hear and experience kidnapping, armed robbery all over the country, that even the common local farmer, petty trader and mechanics are now being kidnapped in Nigeria in exchange for whatever the kidnappers can scoop for themselves from innocent citizens as ransom.

“The Federal Government has suddenly become somewhat deaf and dumb that they have refused to act or do anything about it, the almighty giant of Africa has suddenly become handicapped.

“Today in our markets, we can not even buy products manufactured locally, even the foods we bring from our local farms, all because the prices of food and all other things are going up every blessed day and the government supposedly has agencies that control market prices, while these agencies watch in their slumber with their hands folded doing nothing to correct these anomalies in the system and yet we say we have a government in Nigeria?

“Citizens get sick in Nigeria today and can’t afford money to buy common paracetamol, there are no health centers or government hospitals to go to by citizens to be attended to with little or no money.

“In some cases, you go to the very limited hospitals and you are not well attended to by professionals because of its shortage, you can’t get drugs from these few hospitals that are available and yet the wife of the president could donate 100,000 dollars to Sierra Leone to build a hospital when we have needs for it here in Nigeria.”

EDOCSO stated that, “We also wants to state here that we are most disappointed in the National House Of Assemblies who have become a puppet in the hand of the executive not knowing the power the constitution gave them to serve the people, unfortunately we have slumbering representatives who originally don’t know why they were sent to the National House of Assemblies.

“They feel it’s their time to enrich themselves at the expense of Nigerians and we think to the extent of their uselessness, they should all go home, so Nigerians can now conveniently know they have a country without legislators.

“Flowing from the above, it is clear of the general sufferings that Nigerians have been plunged into by the federal government since the day of taking over, due to the removal of fuel subsidy without proper plans on ground to ensure the welfare of Nigerians, and of course the further devalue of our Naira till date.

“We say to the Federal Government and president Bola Ahmed Tinubu that he has failed in his responsibilities and agreement reached with Nigerians, in Section 14 subsection 2b and Section 16 subsection 1b of the 1999 Constitution of the federal republic of Nigeriand as such have made the following demands.”

The civil society organisations therefore urged the Federal Government to urgently “put in place all machineries to ensure proper market price regulations to end the current economic hardship in the country,” and also put “all economic processes to give value to our currency be put in place.”

The organisations also demanded that “a proper fair and citizens friendly policies be put in place to ensure economic stability in the country,” and “all security measures to end insecurity be activated immediately.”

News

Bandits Abduct Kebbi Deputy Speaker

Published

7 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Deputy Speaker of the Kebbi State House of Assembly, Samaila Bambu, has reportedly been abducted by bandits suspected to be Lakurawa terrorists.

According to a resident familiar with the incident, Bambu was abducted on Friday evening in his hometown, Bagudo, in Bagudu Local Government Area of the state.

Confirming the incident, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said he had just received the information when contacted by The PUNCH.

News

JAMB Flags 2,658 Admissions As Illegal

Published

7 hours ago

November 1, 2025

Editor

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has flagged a total of 2,658 admissions conducted during the 2024/2025 academic session as illegal.

The illegal admissions were flagged from a total of 17 universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, according to a breakdown of institutional analysis conducted by the board, which was obtained by our correspondent on Friday in Abuja.

This is as public universities ended the admission processes for the 2025/2026 academic session on Friday.

According to the data, the affected institutions with illegal admissions are: Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (1,847); Osun State University (492); Abubakar Tafari Ali Polytechnic (148); Federal College of Animal and Health Production (66); University of Calabar (28); College of Education, Oro (12); Michael and Cecilia Ibru University (12); Redeemer’s University (five); Pan-Atlantic University (five); Nigerian Army College of Education (two); Kwara State Polytechnic (one); and Best Solution Polytechnic (one), among others.

JAMB categorises admissions conducted outside its Central Admissions Processing System, popularly known as CAPS, as illegal.

Over the years, the board has issued directives to institutions and candidates on the dangers of issuing and accepting admissions outside CAPS.

During the 2025 policy meeting organised by the board, the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, warned that severe sanctions, including withdrawal of assets and punishment of officials, would be meted out to institutions involved in illegal admission racketeering.

CAPS, introduced in 2017, is being implemented to ensure transparency, fairness, and merit-based admissions, according to JAMB.

Candidates can track admission offers, accept or reject admissions, and verify their statuses.

Students who accept admissions outside CAPS risk ineligibility for the mandatory National Youth Service Scheme.

News

Gombe Wins Northeast Quiz Competition On Legislature, Democracy

Published

1 day ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Gombe State has emerged as the winner at the 2025 North East Zonal Quiz Competition on legislature and democracy organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) for senior secondary schools across Northeast on Friday.

Speaking before the commencement of the 2025 edition of the zonal debate which focuses on the legislature, democracy and governance, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the exercise was to deepen the knowledge of legislative and democratic governance among secondary school students and youth.

According to him, it was also to broaden their knowledge on the history, practice and procedure of the legislature and encourage deeper understanding of civic and democratic governance.

The competition, he added, would stimulate the interest of the young students in politics and make them more proactive in matters relating to the legislature and democracy.

He explained that enhancing the knowledge of young Nigerians in the legislature would not only foster an inclusive and participatory legislature in Nigeria but would also serve as an avenue for citizen engagement in the legislative process.

Represented by Mr Jeremiah Agada, NILDS Northeast Zonal Quiz Coordinator, Sulaiman added that the quiz competition would take place in all the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“It is also to inspire young Nigerians to cultivate the interest to participate in legislative governance.

“This 10th edition of the competition is therefore the fourth time the competition has been held at the national level.

“As the 2025 NILDS Zonal quiz competition is declared open, I therefore urge all competing students and their teachers to abide by the rules of the game so that the desired objectives of the competition are achieved,” he said.

Also speaking, the Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Muhammed Lawal, said the exercise was a welcome development in the circle of education, adding that it was a ground where students in the zone could be tested among other students in the country.

“This will enable us to improve the quality of our delivery in our various schools to our teeming students across the zone.

“I want them to take it upon themselves that in an engagement like this, there is no loser. You put in your best, and if at the end of the day, you don’t make it up to the top, your efforts will be crowned.

“I hope this will be well covered because it will stimulate other schools to be part of and perform better so that they can come up to this level as well,” he said.

Mohammed appreciated the commitment of teachers and moderators who coached the students to fully participate in the competition and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to revamping the education sector under Gov. Bala Mohammad’s leadership.

Announcing the winner of the competition, the Quiz Master Mr. Lucky Tongs, announced Gombe State as the overall winner of the debate with 75 points

He also announced Taraba State as the first runner up with 55 points and Yobe State as the third position with 50 points, adding that the winner is expected to represent the Northeast sub-region at the National competition in Abuja.

Other states that participated in the competition included Adamawa and Bauchi.