2Face-led Protest: Ex-Militant Groups Declare Support For Singer

The group, in a statement by its National chairman, Mr H. M. Ebirie, pledged to support the singer as he leads Nigerian youths to match against “unfavourable economic policies of the current administration.

“We the Niger Delta ex-agitators are fully in support of the 2face Idibia-led nationwide mass protest against economic hardship and severe hunger in the country,” the group said on Thursday.

“The federal government seems to have no immediate measures to cushion plights of the suffering masses and we are ready for the protest.”

“The Federal Government must be awakened to rise up to its responsibilities of creating the conducive environment for economic growth and alleviation of severe hunger in the land through people-oriented policies and programmes,” they said.

The Youths for Human Rights Protection and Transparency Initiative (YARPTI), has similarly pledged to join in the peaceful match on Monday.

Vice President of the YARPTI, Dr Joy Tobin, said of the protest:

“The right to join with fellow citizens in protest or peaceful assembly is critical to a functioning democracy.

“Within the space of a little more than a year, Nigeria’s story has turned full circle from an economy lauded as the largest on the continent with potentials to grow further to one enmeshed in its worst economic crisis in 25 years.

“Now, the economy has officially died and the government is cash-strapped with 27 states owing workers and pensioners backlog of wages.

“This is in addition to about two million workers and pensioners starving because their wages and benefits are not being paid on time while prices of goods in the market have gone to high heavens. All these are due to bad government policies.

“We can’t keep quiet anymore,” said Tobin.