Human rights groups under the aegis of the Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance (CACOBAG) and the Campaign for Constitutionalism and Human Rights (CCHR) have jointly asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately withdraw his announcement of fuel subsidy removal.
The groups made the demand on Friday in a statement jointly signed by their Chairmen, Toyin Raheem and Olutola Folorunsho, saying that the President should make affairs of Nigerians his first priority in all his policies and decisions, as the announcement of fuel subsidy removal by Tinubu was not only dictatorial but anti-people.
“As organisations that exist to make life bearable and meaningful to the common man, we wish to call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to withdraw his statement on fuel subsidy which has brought agony to the masses. The president should immediately rescind the decision.
“Without mincing words, bad policies, corruption and lackadaisical attitude of those at the helm of affairs plunged Nigeria into the present gulag of mess,” part of the statement read.
The groups questioned removal of fuel subsidy which, according to them, had never existed.
According to the groups, “What has the President known about the fuel subsidy when he has not even sat on the president seat for a second to know if fuel subsidy actually existed or not, why are our refineries moribund, what is the real fact about the downstream oil sector, and how NNPC operates?
“If subsidy exists, who are the beneficiaries of the huge sum being paid as subsidy? Are they unknown human beings? Secondly, with which government officials did he comprehensively discuss the issue before making his pronouncement?”
The groups noted that “Even as an executive president, he does not have the power to unilaterally take decision on the scam called oil subsidy,” adding that “The pronouncement has thrown the majority of Nigerians into confusion.
“There is nowhere in Nigeria that fuel could be gotten for less than five hundred naira per litre.”
The groups also decried the fact that transport fare has become unbearable, while prices of foodstuff have skyrocketed, as “grinding of pepper, cassava and even "Agbado" which the president mentioned at one of his campaigns is now three hundred percent of what it used to be.”
It added that “The fact that the president would enjoy perk of his office which include free food, free fuel and free transportation does not mean he should not be considerate of the majority of Nigerians that are hewers of wood, pure water sellers, shoe makers, cart/wheelbarrow pushers, okada riders etc. Minimum wages for workers is still thirty thousand naira per month. How are they going to cope?
“Despite the non-existence of fuel subsidy, decision on it should have been delayed till when executive council is in place and a public meeting that should include NLC, TUC, JAF , FIWON, NATA, Civil Society organisations like UAD, HEDA, CHRICED, DSM, CCHR, CISLAC, SERAP, UAC, CACOBAG, ACE, CDHR, PIC, CWR, CPD, etc, faith-based organisations and community-based organisations are convened.”
The CACOBAG and CCHR further pointed out that “Subsidy issue is not what the national assembly can just take a decision on without involving the people. It is beyond them.
“The President should therefore be wary of the Gbajabiamila-led House of Representatives that commended him for taking an anti-people decision. It's a deceit. No people's legislator would support any anti people policy.
“Some people may be tempted to say you did say it in your campaign that you will remove subsidy. To us, it was a mere statement that you made because of your desire to be the president. To us, it's not possible to remove what is not existing . There is nothing like oil subsidy but a scam to settle some "big boys and girls," If not , are those "big people" more powerful than the government? Why has no government made public names of individuals or corporate bodies that are beneficiaries of the so-called subsidy?
“Mr President, your pronouncement on fuel subsidy is against the people and tantamount to being a dictator which you said you will not be.
“We urge you without any further delay to withdraw the anti-people statement on fuel subsidy, if you have not insisted on being the president to aggravate the pain and pang which your predecessor in office placed on the masses. Mr President, there is nothing like fuel subsidy, it's a scam. Don’t put more burden on Nigerians.”