The Coalition of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) has expressed support for the recent peaceful protest held in Edo State over worsening living conditions, while calling on Governor Monday Okpebholo to take urgent action.
It would be recalled that youths and residents, numbering in the hundreds, staged a protest in Benin City on Wednesday, raising concerns over issues such as rising fuel prices, unstable power supply, poor road conditions, and the increasing cost of food.
The protesters called for immediate government intervention to tackle unemployment, inflation, and the overall cost of living.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the CRPP, through its National Chairman, Dr. Samson Isibor, said the protest reflected the growing hardship faced by citizens in Edo State and across the country.
The statement said in part: “We have noted with grave concern that wherever you turn to in Edo state, it is lamentation. The heat of poverty is staring us in the face, we’ve never hard it this bad in Edo, that was what led to the massive protest by youths and other citizens in Benin on Wednesday.
“Edo is at a standstill as if there is no government in the state, insecurity is at its worst state ever, kidnapping is unabated, unemployment is high, cost of house rent is beyond the reach of the citizens, there is no visible infrastructural development, bad and unmotorable roads everywhere, no functional health centers, entrepreneurs are moving out of the state because of high cost of running their businesses.
“CRPP supports Wednesday’s peaceful protest by the citizens in Benin to call the attention of the state and federal governments to the deplorable conditions in the state in particular and the country in general.”
Addressing what it described as the state government’s response to the situation, Isibor urged Governor Okpebholo to take responsibility for improving living conditions.
“CRPP condemns the lackadaisical and nonchalant attitude of Governor Monday Okpebholo. Sadly, there is no visible effort from his government to ameliorate the suffering of our people.
“We, therefore, call on Okpebholo to to either wake up to his responsibilities or resign, because it is obvious that he is bereft of ideas to solve the alarming poverty confronting Edo people. Rather, he is only concerned with how to win the 2027 presidential for his Master and the so-called local government election in which we already know the outcome,” he said.
