By Ozioruva Aliu
BENIN CITY – THE police in Edo state Monday confined hundreds of civil society groups who have gathered at the Museum ground in Benin City to protest recent hikes in cement and petroleum products.
As at the time of this report, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Kontongs Bello (SP) could not be reached for official reaction to the incident but Vanguard gathered that the protesters did not officially seek permission before they embarked on the protest.
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On of the leaders of the protesters and former President of Students Union Government (SUG) of the University of Benin Osemudiamen Ogbidi, demanded that the government set up a task force within fourteen days to look into their grievances of checking the increase in the commodities or they would mobilise market women, men, builders and other citizen of the state for mass protest.
He said: “If after fourteen days, the government fails to address the urgent issues we have raised they should wait for us, this ugly, unbearable experience must stop.
“How can Edo, with the high deposit of limestone (raw material for the production of cement) be experiencing this difficulty? How do you expect us to buy a bag of cement for 4,000 why in the north it is sold for less?”
Other civil society leaders in the protest like Kola Edokpoyi, Kelly Omokaro also unanimously passed a vote of no confidence on the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Phillip Ogbadu who they alleged deployed his officers to do “the bidding of higher powers.”
Edokpayi said “The Commissioner of police is supposed to be a knowledgeable man but has belittled himself before us, you can see the padlock, he ordered his men to lock us inside the museum ground, he has imprisoned us illegally.
“We want to opine categorically that since we cannot buy a bag of cement for 4,000, we cannot also buy a litre of fuel for over 160 else the president should resign. We have given them 14 days ultimatum.”
The post Commodities price hike: Police restricts protesters in Edo appeared first on Vanguard News.
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