The Catholic Bishop of Ekiti, Bishop Felix Femi Ajakaye, donned the cassock to lead anti-subsidy removal protest in Ado-Ekiti, capital of Ekiti State, yesterday.
The Bishop marched with protesters who took off from Ajilosun through Okeyinmi and Ojumoshe, and stopped at Fajuyi Park.
He and a coalition of labour/civil groups addressed protesters.
The protest was peaceful, although there were bonfires on Fajuyi-Adebayo Road and Danimo-StadiumRoad, where some youths converted the roads to football fields.
Ajakaye said President Goodluck Jonathan was running a government of deceit.
He said: “We expected Mr President to react briskly to the security challenges in the nation, the same way he quickly removed the oil subsidy and we urge him to use the money being used to finance pro-subsidy campaign to transform Nigeria.
“I am a Nigerian and I am interested in the Nigerian project. I can’t fold my arms because I am a Bishop and allow my people to suffer.
“We need to be visionaries and pursue causes that would not make Nigeria fall apart
“The power of the people is mightier than any government. It is sad that our leaders don’t have listening ears. President Jonathan said he did not have shoes and he is trying to take our pairs of slippers off our legs.
“As much as I support that there should be no war in our dear nation, this policy is worse than a civil war, but with one voice we shall surely overcome.”
Also, State chairmen of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) Ayodele Aluko and Kolawole Olaiya and leaders of other civil society groups and trade unions addressed the gathering.
Others who spoke included Mrs Aduke Seriki (Council of Iya Lojas), Dr Ayan Adeleke, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Tope Agunbiade (Save Nigeria Group/Campaign for Democracy), Dr Wole Ogundipe (Nigeria Medical Association) and Adeolu Oyebode (students’ representative).
”The truth might be hard to say, painful to bear or even drastic for the truth sayer but still needed to be said”. ALISON.
