Beggars in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State, have voiced their distress regarding the diminishing support from the public.
Their living conditions have been characterized as “terrible and unbearable”.
During a chat with DAILY POST at Lokoja’s renowned old market, a beggar known as Abubakar Alli, expressed worry that he and his fellow alms-seekers are no longer earning sufficient income to sustain themselves.
Alli said:” Few years back, I could boast of making N1,500 to N2,000 a day from begging, but for the past one year or so, I hardly make up to half of that amount.”
Another beggar, Mohammed Adamu, who lost his sight many years ago, expressed his struggle to cope with life amidst dwindling earnings from begging.
“We cannot engage in meaningful physical work that can bring money to our pocket.
“As persons with disabilities, we depend solely on other members of the society.
“What they keep on telling us is that they are also feeling the negative impact of the bad economy. We are dying of hunger. Where do we go from here?” He asked.
The beggars appealed to the State and Federal Governments to devise meaningful solutions to address the prevailing social and economic challenges confronting the nation.
The cost of living in the country has risen significantly, prompting a mass protest in Niger yesterday.
The protest, led by a group primarily composed of women, took place on the Minna-Bida Road at the Kpakungu roundabout, where frustrations were voiced over the soaring prices of food items.
For example, garri, a staple food previously considered affordable for the common man, has now become prohibitively expensive, with its price per measure skyrocketing from N500 to N2,200.
These challenges are compounded by the high cost of transportation and other essential services following the removal of fuel subsidy by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government in 2023.
However, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has assured Nigerians that the hard times being faced is temporary and will soon be over.
