Address hardship, insecurity, OAU students tell FG

The Students Representative Council of Obafemi Awolowo University Students’ Union has condemned the economic hardship and insecurity ravaging the country.

The SRC in a statement released on the campus in Ile-Ife, sent to our correspondent on Sunday, urged the Federal Government to immediately tackle these challenges.

The harsh economic situation in the country has been taking a toll on Nigerians, especially since the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu upon his swearing-in on May 29, 2023, which saw the petrol pump prices rising from around N200 to over N600.

Also, the persistent fall of naira against dollar has brought about an attendant inflation on the cost of goods and services in the country with many Nigerians lamenting the hardship.

As a temporary response to the nation’s growing food crisis and the rising price of commodities, President Tinubu, on February 8, 2024, ordered the release of 102,000 metric tons of various grain types from the Strategic Reserve and the Rice Millers Association of Nigeria.

However, the OAU students in the statement issued by Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Clerk of the Great IFE SRC, Ganiyu Yusuf, Akande Peter and Praise Adesoji respectively, said the economic hardship “reflects the sheer negligence and incompetence of our leaders.”

“This alarming economic downturn has led to an unbearable cost of living, making it increasingly difficult for the average Nigerian to afford basic necessities,” the statement added.

On insecurity, they said, “The rampant cases of insecurity, including kidnapping and banditry, have reached unprecedented levels, instilling fear and apprehension in the hearts of citizens across the nation. The government’s failure to prioritise the safety and security of its people is utterly unacceptable and cannot be tolerated any longer.”

The student leaders also decried “the government’s neglect of the education sector, evident in insufficient budget allocations and underfunding of tertiary institutions.”

Since December 2023, there have been rising incidents of insecurity in different parts of the country, from the killings in Plateau to the kidnappings in Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, and others.

Some bandits on Saturday also reportedly invaded two communities of Gwada and Kassam in Igabi as well as Kauru local government areas of Kaduna, killing nine and leaving seven injured, while scores were abducted, including a retired Central Bank of Nigeria’s director.

An official statement by the state government through its Commissioner Overseeing Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the incident but was silent on those killed and abducted in Igabi and Kauru LGAs of the state.