The people of Cross River State, particularly residents of Calabar, the state capital, shunned the national protest against bad governance that started Thursday nationwide.

Though major markets, stores and artisan shops in Calabar Municipal, Calabar South local council area, and other commercial towns in the state did not open for business early as usual, traders and youths shunned the #EndBadGovernance nationwide protest.

As early as 6:30 am, commercial buses and tricycles were noticeable on the roads and streets in Calabar Municipal and Calabar South, conveying passengers, traders, and artisans to their respective markets, stores, and shops in the towns.

Though some of the shops in the popular Watt and Ika Ika markets, also known as Marian Market, later opened for business in the evening, the traders were seen around their shops for fear of vandalisation by hoodlums who might want to take advantage of the protest to loot.

Most of the streets were calm and peaceful as most families preferred to remain at home for safety.

As early as 6:00 am, a large contingent of security operatives was mobilized to various strategic positions in the state capital to stave off any possible outbreak of violence in the city.

A police officer, who agreed to be interviewed with The Guardian on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak with the press, said they had been given directives to maintain peace and order and prevent looting and destruction of public property.

Some residents, who spoke with our reporter, said they were not interested in the protest as it might not change the bad economic situation in the country but rather inflict losses and pain on the masses, especially the traders and artisans whose shops might be looted in the guise of protest as was done in the #EndSARS protest in 2020.

The Guardian reports that government offices were not opened today for work for fear of possible attack by the protesters.

Workers, market women, students, commercial taxi and bus drivers, among other groups in the state, disassociated themselves from the protest, which they described as faceless.

Speaking at a press conference in Calabar Thursday, the state chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade John Ulayi, and his Trade Union Congress (TUC) counterpart, Monday Ogbodum, said workers in the state would not participate in the protest.

They cited the destruction and devastation the state incurred in the 2020 EndSARS protest, in which it lost billions of naira and is yet to recover from.

Other groups who took turns to say no to the protest said never again would they allow such affliction to arise in the state given the 2020 #EndSARS mayhem.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) also, in a press conference Thursday, said it has obtained a police permit to embark on a solidarity rally in support of President Bola Tinubu and Governor Bassey Otu’s good governance around the streets of Calabar from August 1st – 11th.

They said the rally, which will begin from 1st to 11th August, will highlight the achievements of the federal and state governments while also appealing to the people to give the government more time for the policies put in place to yield positive results.

The APC chairman said, As a party, we have to show solidarity with our governor as a way of encouraging him to do more. We shall also show solidarity with Mr. President for all the wonderful things he has been doing, which we will use this rally to roll out to our people to know; and in doing so weve complied with the order of the federal government through the IG, that anybody who wants to be on the street tomorrow (Thursday 1st August) must do so by getting a permit.

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