By Izunna Okafor, Awka
What could be better described as mild appearance has been the situation of Awka, the capital city of Anambra State on Thursday, August 1, 2024.
It is no longer news that August 1 was scheduled as the date for the nationwide protest, tagged #EndBadGovernment Protest, #Hunger Protest, among other tags given to it, and during which Nigerians intended to express their discontent and grievances over the high level of suffering and high cost of living in the country.
Ahead of the protest, waves were generated in different parts of the country, while a chain of reactions and counter-reactions was also sparked off in different parts of the nation as many expressed diverse opinions about it.
These reactions, unarguably, made the people ambivalent about the proposed protest, hence diverse responses and reactions to the protest by the masses.
In Awka, the capital city of Anambra, the situation was somewhat trailed by mixed feelings as the city was calmly bubbling without any demonstration or protesters seen anywhere around the city.
Some of the places visited by this reporter, in Izunna Okafor, include the ever-busy UNIZIK Junction (Temp. Site), Regina Caeli Junction, Aroma Junction, Kwata Junction, Eke Awka Market, Anambra State Government House, State Secretariat, Banks, Enugu Electricity Distribution Company (EEDC) Headquarters, Filling Stations, as well various private and public institutions in the state, with some partially in operation, while many others were under lock and key.
Patrolling security vehicles were also seen at intervals, while there was also heavy presence of security officials stationed at the entrance gates of various public institutions visited, including State Headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), where there was a heavy presence of Army; State House of Assembly, where there were over 17 security officials, comprising the police and NSCDC; State Secretariat, where there were NSCDC officials; and the Government House, where there was heavy presence of police — all stationed at the entrance gates.
The pictures and the videos tell the rest…
