For the past three days, Nigerians have taken to the streets in a nationwide protest tagged #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, expressing their dissatisfaction with the Federal Government. While the protests have predominantly been led by the youth, many elderly citizens have also joined the movement, driven by hunger and suffering that transcend age and tribe.
One septuagenarian shared her plight, saying, “We are tired of sitting at home without finding something to eat. I have not eaten today because things are so expensive. Our children, who should be taking care of us, are unemployed and struggling. We want an environment where people can do their businesses profitably.”
She continued, “The protest has already yielded positive results, such as the national wage increase, but that’s not enough. People can’t survive on N70,000 in today’s economy. We want peace and an enabling environment for everyone to thrive. The government is insensitive to our needs, with many children unable to attend school due to high fees. We need change.”
Another elderly woman from Abraka, Delta State, echoed similar sentiments, chanting, “We no go gree oooo. Hunger too much. We no go gree.” An elderly protester interviewed by AIT lamented going to bed hungry and called for politicians unwilling to change to be removed. She criticized the police and politicians for taking Nigerians for granted, stating, “Enough is enough.”
A Twitter user shared a video of an aged woman expressing her frustration with begging to feed herself. In Port Harcourt, a market woman highlighted the skyrocketing prices of commodities, saying, “We want the protest to continue so that things can change. We can’t afford to buy food. For instance, a bag of okra is now N48,500.”
Mrs. Shoyinka, an elderly woman, walked 7.2 km to join the protest in Sango-Ota, Ogun State. She expressed her frustration, stating, “Elderly people like me are begging for food. Our children have no jobs and go around begging. Someone should deliver us from this government.”
An elderly man in Lagos, holding a placard, declared, “We are going down every day. We are tired. Any politician who is not ready to change must be sent out. Enough is enough.” In Gombe State, 70-year-old Salihu Doho joined the protest in solidarity with the youth, saying, “The hardship is felt by both poor and rich, old and young. Tinubu should reverse the removal of the oil subsidy.”
Grace, a 65-year-old from Kano State, lamented the current situation, saying, “This was not how things were many years ago. Now it’s worse.”
As the protests continue, the voices of these elderly citizens highlight the widespread discontent and call for significant changes in governance to address the pervasive hardships faced by Nigerians.
