The #EndBadGovernance protesters in Rivers State have rejected Governor Sim Fubara’s offer to provide them with stipends for bread and ‘pure water’, pending when government will combat hardship and hunger in the state.
Thousands of protesters hit the streets of Port Hacourt amid the morning rain to demand an end to the hardship being experienced in the country.
They marched from Pleasure Park, located along Aba Road, to the Government House
The governor, who showed up to address the protesters, said, “Our youths, I know that you are angry; I agree with you that there is hunger. We agree but because we preach good governance, hunger will disappear very soon. Please, like I said, we are going to support you.
“I am not against your protest, but we will not support any violent protest. We will not support anything that will destroy our state.
“We will not join force with the enemy of progress. I will support you, I will support you. Before you leave here, I will give you small thing, at least, to help you buy ‘pure water’ and bread.”
The protesters, however, responded immediately, telling the governor that they were not protesting for stipends but good governance and better standard of living.
Meanwhile, the governor expressed worry that a lot of people were planning to take advantage of the peaceful protest to cause crisis in the state.
He said: “You are here because you want a better Nigeria. But, like I said yesterday, I am one of you. I feel your pains and in our own government here, we are doing everything to make life easy for our people.
“But, you see, this particular protest you are doing now, our only worry is that a lot of people are planning to take advantage of this protest to destroy our state. That, we will not allow it. I want to thank you for being peaceful. I already know your problems and we will communicate your problems to the federal government.”