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Economic hardship: Suffering becoming unbearable for Nigerians, CAN laments

9th February 2024

Protest

Protesters hit the streets of Niger on Monday.

By 

Godwin Isenyo

The Christian Association of Nigerians in the 19 Northern States and Abuja, on Friday, expressed concern over the prevailing harsh economy, declaring that the suffering in the country is becoming unbearable to ordinary Nigerians.

Besides, the organisation noted that of grave concern was the increasing security challenges as well.

This is coming on the heels of similar concern raised by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammadu Abubakar lll-led Jama’atu Nasril Islam that urged both federal and state governments to intervene in the prevailing economic hardship which had forced Nigerians into protests.

The PUNCH reports that on Monday through Tuesday, angry youths and women took to the streets of Minna, the Niger State capital, and Kano to protest what they described as the rising cost of living in the country.

Similar protests also erupted in Ondo State in the Southwestern part of the country.

In Niger, a group of women reportedly blocked the ever-busy Minna-Bida Road at the famous Kpakungu Roundabout and called on the Tinubu administration to address the challenge of ‘hunger in the land.’ The mob deflected attempts to quell the protest by security operatives who fired tear gas canisters into the crowd and arrested others.

In the face of this, the Northern CAN, in a statement released by its Secretary-General, Elder Sunday Oibe, in Kaduna, called on the Federal Government to, as a matter of urgency, step in and address the depressing economic and escalating security situation in the country.

According to the organisation Secretary, the suffering in the country is becoming unbearable for ordinary Nigerians as the high cost of foodstuffs, transportation, goods, and services have made life difficult for many Nigerians.

All these, he argued, were being compounded by the escalating insecurity occasioned by rampant killings and kidnapping for ransom.

He also said the Christian body was sad over the continued attack on Plateau State, where no fewer than 300 people were killed while calling on the government to do everything possible to halt the killings not only in Plateau but across the country.

The statement is entitled, “The Federal Government should urgently address the escalating insecurity and hunger in the country.

“The suffering in the country is becoming unbearable for ordinary Nigerians. The high cost of foodstuffs, transportation, goods, and services has made life difficult for many Nigerians.

“The epileptic power supply has led to the collapse of many small businesses.

“The continued decline in the value of the naira and the seeming inability of the government to address the situation has completely weakened the purchasing power of ordinary Nigerians.

“The situation is further compounded by escalating insecurity occasioned by rampant killings and kidnapping for ransom.

“Unless justice is done, by ensuring that the perpetrators and whoever are the sponsors are brought to book, all the talks about peace may be mere rhetorics.

“Government must take urgent steps to address the depressing economic and escalating security situation in the country.

This was just as the Northern CAN blasted regional groups such as the Arewa Consultative Forum, the Northern Elders Forum, as well as some Northern Senators for opposing the government plan of relocating some departments in the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, from Abuja to Lagos.

“It is unfortunate that we introduce ethnic and regional sentiments in a harmless policy that is meant to streamline operations and make the agencies more effective.