Protesters in Port Harcourt and its environs continued their protest against hunger and bad governance on Tuesday, blocking a section of the East-West Road in Rivers State. The police had restricted the protest to two venues, the Isaac Boro Park and the Pleasure Park, but protesters defied this directive, sharing themselves into groups, burning tires, and blocking roads.
At about 9 am on Tuesday, protesters blocked the Obiri-Kwere axis of the East-West Road and the Rumiokoro end, leaving motorists stranded. They displayed placards with inscriptions, chorused anti-governmental songs, and called on President Bola Tinubu to resign, vowing to continue the protest.
One of the protesters, Igbaki, said, “We will not get tired of this protest till day ten. We are tired and hungry, and we say no to bad governance in Nigeria. The President’s broadcast is nothing to write home about because he didn’t address any of the issues we raised for embarking on this protest. Tinubu must go, he has failed.”
As the protest grew, some youths dragged down trees on the East-West road, making the gridlock tighter. Some vehicles made a detour to find escape routes, while many motorists placed leaves on their vehicles to show solidarity with the protesters. Some protesters made brisk business selling leaves to owners of vehicles trapped in the gridlock for between N100 and N200.
The other group of protesters converged at the Federal Secretariat and moved to the Ikwerre Road axis of Diobubin Port Harcourt, causing traffic buildup in the area. Many vehicles made U-turns to their destinations.
The escalating protest has created an uneasy tension in the state, with frightened commuters seen trekking to their destinations. The spokesperson of the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the restriction of the protesting venue is because the youths are infringing on the rights of others.
“We have restricted the protest to the Isaac Boro Park and the Pleasure Park to prevent a breakdown of law and order. As we speak, they have started infringing on the rights of others, and we (Police) will not allow that. We are calling on them to stay with these two venues or else anyone that floats this will be arrested and prosecuted.”
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