The #EndHunger nationwide protest, on Monday, spread to the Eleme-Onne section of the East-West Road of Rivers as a large crowd of protesters stormed the popular section connecting the Port Harcourt refineries.
The Akpajo axis of the East-West Road, up to the entrance leading to Indorama Petrochemicals, was taken over by angry protesters, who disrupted free vehicular movements.
The East-West road is a major route connecting Port Harcourt city to key business facilities, like the Onne seaport, Port Harcourt refineries, Indorama Petrochemicals and more than six local councils.
The protesters, who carried on their activities peacefully, displayed placards with inscriptions expressing dissatisfaction over the country’s pervasive poverty, hunger and high cost of food items.
Some people told journalists they were unsatisfied with the federal government’s appeal to call off the protest.
One of them, Walson Idah, said they chose to spotlight the East-West road by expressing their anger “over hunger, poverty and infrastructure deficit” in the supposed viable business area.
”We need the government to revive the refineries, which have so much employment and empowerment opportunities for us. In spite of the huge economic potential in the business area, we are unemployed, hungry and poor. We are not taking any palliatives from politicians. We need jobs, good roads, affordable electricity, and basic infrastructure,” Mr Idah said.
They called on the federal government to address the problem of the high cost of staple foods, which, they said, had gone out of the reach of many families.
They also urged the federal government to hold the governors responsible for their alleged failure to implement its policies with the fuel subsidy intervention funds.
(NAN)
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