After days of protest which almost crippled activities in virtually all parts of the country, normalcy is fast returning as people have started picking up the bits and pieces of their life.
The 10-day #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest declared Thursday last week, is scheduled to end Saturday.
While the protest turned violence, especially in several parts of the north, the situation was generally peaceful in some others, including Lagos and all parts of the southern state.
In Kaduna and Kano states where the people were worst hit following the violent dimension it took, business activities are picking up even as some class of Nigerians, like the commercial sex hawkers and beggars are beginning to count their losses.
…Kaduna
Blueprint reports that businesses, banks, and markets reopened in Kaduna following the relaxation of the 24-hour curfew, imposed Monday on Zaria and Kaduna metropolitan areas.
Unlike previous days when demonstrators attempted to defy the curfew, there were no signs of protesters on the streets Thursday.
The Kaduna Central Market witnessed a rush of buyers and sellers, with people eager to re-stock foodstuffs and essential commodities.
Additionally, there were no reports of any sporadic gunshots in areas that had previously suffered such incidents.
The Kaduna state government announced on Wednesday that the 24-hour curfew has been relaxed to between 6.00pm and 8.-00am daily.
A statement by the Overseeing Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan late Wednesday, said the new curfew hours took effect from Thursday.
He added that the State Security Council unanimously agreed to relax the curfew after a thorough review of the security situation in Kaduna and Zaria towns as well as their environs.
…Kano
And from Kano, where the protest turned violent, leading to the killing of some people and destruction as well as looting of properties, the beggars and commercial sex workers cried of hunger, and begged organisers of the protest to halt the trend.
Baba Haliru, a 70-year-old beggar from Rigiyar Zaki, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that survival has become extremely challenging due to the protests.
Haliru stated that many beggars relied on daily earnings to feed their families but the protests prevented them from getting alms.
“We have not eaten anything in our household of 14 for two days in the last four days except water.
”For God’s sake, please reach out to those who organised the protests to end them by negotiating with the government,” he lamented.
Other beggars re-echoed Haliru’s sentiments, calling for an end to the protests and the total lifting of the curfew.
Malama Mario Kabiru of Hotoro quarters said: “We have run out of foodstuffs and we can’t go out to buy more. We don’t have money, and the situation is unbearable.”
Malam Isa Musa of Dorayi quarters also appealed to the government to introduce measures that would cater for the needs of elderly individuals who have no support.
“We are begging because we have no one to support us. Since the curfew was introduced, we have not eaten anything in the last three days with our families. We can’t continue like this, kindly let the protests stop,” he said.
Making similar pleas, commercial sex workers in Kano state Thursday told NAN that the protests had crippled social-economic activities, leaving them without customers and struggling to survive.
Monica James, who operates on France Road, said dialogue was the only option to address the protesters’ grievances.
“I have not eaten for two days because of the curfew; our customers are nowhere to be found,” she said.
Deborah Iliya, a sex worker on Yoruba Road, who echoed James’ sentiments, described the situation as horrible, saying she had not been able to find customers.
Also, Hannatu Ibrahim, Weather Head area, also called for an end to the protests, joining the growing calls for a return to normalcy.
Caroline James, a sex worker operating from a brothel on Enugu Street in Sabon Gari, said the infiltration of hoodlums and subsequent violence “spoilt our business.”
James said she booked clients willing to pay between N30,000 and N40,000, but they could not keep their appointments due to the tension and curfew.
A sex worker, who preferred to remain anonymous, said some of her colleagues were forced to share rooms due to the lack of customers during the protest
She appealed to the authorities to relax the curfew, stating that it severely impacted their business ability.
A bar attendant, Moses John, told NAN that the curfew had severely impacted business activities in Sabon Gari, with hotels and bars hardly selling due to customers’ absence.
Kenneth John, a dealer in Esi Ewu ( goat head) on Aitken Road, told NAN that the curfew had negatively impacted business activities in Sabon Gari, lamenting that he had lost several goats due to lack of power supply.
…Kano experiences price hike
Also in Kano, traders are making up for time lost to the protests as residents trooped into markets to buy food items at high prices.
According to a market survey carried out Wednesday by Premium Times at Singer and Dawanau markets, traders in food items did brisk business as the prices of essential goods rose higher than before the hardship protests.
A dealer at the Singer market, Sa’idu Abdullahi, told Premium Times that before the protest, a 50 kg bag of Sugar sold for N80, 000 but was N82,000 on Wednesday.
He said a 50kg bag of flour sold at N62, 000 was N70, 000, and a cartoon of Spaghetti, which sold at N15, 800, is now N17, 500.
Also, a 50kg bag of Premium rice (Gerawa) sold at N72, 000 is now N80, 000.
Abdullahi attributed the price hike to high demand and a low supply in the market, which he said, ultimately led to price hike, and leaving the people with no alternative but to buy.
He said prices may drop as normalcy gradually returns to the city after the protests.
However, a trader at Singer Market, Nura Abdullahi, said prices were gradually going down until the protests.
For instance, he said a cartoon of Maggi Cube sold at N13, 700 is now N14, 500. A cartoon of creamila milk (powder) was N10, 400 but is now N11, 000, while a carton of milki creamer was N44,500 but is now N47,000.
The trader also attributed the hike to a break in the supply chain.
At the Dawanau grain market in Dawakin Tofa local government area, it was observed a similar surge in the prices of grains on Wednesday after traders returned to the market following the end of the violent protests.
A trader at the market, Abdullahi Dan’asabe, said 100 kg of millet rose from N77, 000 to N84, 000 on Wednesday when normalcy returned.
He said maize slightly increased from N88, 000 to N83, 000 while 100 kg of soya beans rose from N87,000 to N88,000.
Concerned by the price increase, Governor Abba Yusuf, at a meeting with the leadership of the traders’ union Wednesday, acknowledged with dismay the development which he described as artificial inflation.
While appealing for a drop in the prices, the governor sympathised with the residents for the untold hardship and also with the traders for the losses incurred during the protests.
While expressing appreciation to the governor, chairperson of the traders’ union, Sabiu Bako, pledged to address the governor’s concern about the price hike.
He said the price hike was due to a shortage in supply, dollar fluctuations and middlemen.
…CSOs differ in Osun
And from Osogbo, the Osun state capital, the Civil Society Organisations(CSOs) differed over the call by a group to discontinue the protest.
A group, led by Ajala Adetunji, had Tuesday announced their decision to discontinue the protest to avoid an uncontrollable clash with some people that would be coming for Osun-Osogbo festival.
But, the Take It Back Movement, in a statement made available to Blueprint in Osogbo Thursday by its coordinator, Samson Tola, said no individual or groups was capable of bringing an end to the protest.
He said: “We want to announce to the public and the security agents that the protest will continue particularly on Saturday immediately after the Osun Osogbo festival until the government of the federation is ready to accede to the demands of Nigerians.
“So, we urge the security men to make themselves available to safeguard the lives and properties of the protesters as stipulated by law during this time as they have been doing from the beginning of the protest.”
Similarly, a faction of the protesters who suspended the protest, maintained that it would continue despite the purported suspension by a rival group.
In a statement signed by the coordinator of Osun Youths EndBadGovernnace, Obatope Martins, the group said: “Our stance is that we are not part of those who for certain hold- backs, kick-backs, promises and rewards, decided to terminate the growing protest and shutting the people from crying after strokes of cane from #BadGovernance.
“The professional, engaged and privately owned comrades’ who called-off and/or suspended the Protest does so without the consent, permission, authority and sanction of Osun State Youths EndBadGovernance and every other peaceful Protesters on the ground to take such a ‘Judasic decision.”