The Oodua People’s Congress (OPC) has urged the government to crash prices of food,saying ‘a hungry man is an angry man’, while also appealing for dialogue with leaders of the planned protest against economic hardships scheduled for August.
In a statement, OPC President Otunba Wasiu Afolabi called for immediate reversal of increased electricity tariff and reduction of food and fuel prices.
“A hungry man is an angry man. The government must crash the price of food, electricity, and fuel for peace to reign and for people to know that the government cares about their welfare,” Afolabi said.
The OPC also urged protesters to remain non-violent and engage in dialogue.
The group’s president criticized the government’s inability to maintain functional refineries, saying, “If one man, Aliko Dangote, can build a refinery in less than 10 years, how can ordinary maintenance of four full-fledged and functional refineries become an impossible task since 1999?”
Meanwhile, the Liberty Movement of Nigeria appealed for patience, saying, “Dialogue is often the best way out of social discontent… ‘Jaw-jaw’ is always better than war-war.”
However, the Take It Back Movement has affirmed its intention to proceed with the protest, prompting security agencies to deploy officers across states to ensure security.