Subsidy Removal: Protests In Abuja, Ondo, Anambra Over Fuel Hike

The stage is set for another round of protests over the hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol from N86 to N145 per litre. Already, there were pockets of protests in Abuja, Anambra and Ondo states yesterday.

But the police deployed its officers to the popular Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota to forestall breakdown of law and order in Lagos. Thousands of protesters shut down business activities in Onitsha and Nnewi, Anambra State, while protesting against the Wednesday’s increase in the price of petrol by the Federal Government. The protest, which was organised by tricycle riders (Keke NAPEP) and commercial motorcycle riders, grounded economic and social activities in many parts of the two cities. The protesters, who were over 1,000 in number, matched through the Bridge head-Uga Junction, Upper Iweka to Owerri road and Nnewi.

The protesters, who sang the old national anthem, Nigeria We Hail Thee, carried posters with various inscriptions like ‘Nigeria at crossroads’, ‘Nigeria is dying of hunger, starvation’, ‘Buhari not a democrat, but a dictatorship,’ ‘Buhari, let my people go’, ‘United Nations, help! Nigerians are dying’. Addressing newsmen at Uga junction, the leader of the group, Mr. Innocent Amukwu, said the removal of the subsidy by the government was to increase the economic hardship being suffered by Nigerians.

Another speaker at the protest rally, Lady Queen Asidu, lamented that over 85 per cent of Nigerians are living below poverty line. She appealed to leaders of thought, the traditional institutions and other stakeholders in the country to call President Muhammadu Buhari to order before the situation gets out of hand. “We are dying, our children are roaming about the bush and yet there is Nino one to help, let every Nigerian now speak.

“A directive has been issued to all tertiary institutions to shut down all campuses on Tuesday and Wednesday, next week. After that, they will all converge on Abuja for a mass protest. “On behalf of NANS and the whole 40.1 million Nigeria students, we condemn the new fuel price and by Tuesday or Wednesday, the whole Nigerian students would occupy Nigeria. So, the Federal Government should look into this before NANS mobilises the entire Nigeria students to occupy Nigeria,” Shehu said.

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