Fides Media Living the Faith
…As Group Threatens Protest
By Ikeugonna Eleke
Following the sudden rise in the price of fuel last Tuesday afternoon, in the entire country, residents of Anambra State have resorted to trekking.
This is as transport fares have further gone up after the previous rise occasioned by the announcement of removal of subsidy during the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu on May 29.
This is even as vehicle owners have also abandoned their vehicles, because of the high cost of fuel, citing harsh economy.
When Fides visited petrol stations in the morning of Wednesday, it was discovered that the product was sold at N600 per litre at many stations.
A resident, Mr Calistus Ezenwa, said, ‘I bought fuel on Tuesday morning for N530 to go to Aguleri. I was still in Aguleri when I heard that there had been an increment in the price of fuel. So I have parked my car for now. My problem is that transport fare is also not affordable.’
Meanwhile, a group, Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, a sociopolitical youth group in the South East Geopolitical Zone, has threatened to organize a massive protest across the country if President Tinubu failed to revert to the old price of N198 per litre.
The group in a press release by its President General, Mr Goodluck Ibem, and publicity secretary, OkeyNwaoru, notified all labour unions of their intention to hold the protest.
The release read: ‘We are alarmed over the new fuel price hike from N520 to N617 by the Federal Government headed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This is a gross insensitivity and wickedness of the highest order.
‘The recent fuel price hike has proved beyond every reasonable doubt that the previous fuel price increment from N198 to N520 was not as a result of subsidy removal but was a well calculated attempt to impoverish Nigerians so that they will not have the energy and strength to challenge the Federal Government in whatever way.
‘It is high time Nigerians threw away ethnicity, tribe, religion and other evil tactics used by the political class to divide us and face the monsters who are hell-bent to destroy the livelihood of the common masses.
‘We therefore call on the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC; the Trade Union Congress, TUC; Nigerian Youths; all traders and businessmen/women; all trade unions and all Nigerian students in the entire nation to come out en-masse for a protest march against this evil and wickedness brought upon Nigerians by President Bola Tinubu.
‘The time to liberate Nigeria from her oppressors is now. We must march on the streets of the 36 states of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, until the fuel price is reversed to its old price of N198 per litre.
‘We don’t need any palliatives, we only want a reversal of the fuel price to N198 per litre. Enough said!’