It said the next phase of the #EndBadGovernance movement is to demand the immediate reversal of fuel price to pre-May 29 price and reversal of electricity tariff and school fees as well as withdrawal of all neo-liberal policies of the regime.
The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) has called on Nigerian youths, workers, civil society organizations, students, women groups and trade unions to begin mobilization towards a 48-hour nationwide protest, over the fuel price hike.
It said the next phase of the #EndBadGovernance movement is to demand the immediate reversal of fuel price to pre-May 29 price and reversal of electricity tariff and school fees as well as withdrawal of all neo-liberal policies of the regime.
The group in a statement signed by its National Secretary, Francis Nwapa, on Saturday said it sees the continuous upward adjustment of the pump price of petrol by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited as a deliberate attack on the living standard ofs Nigerian youths and workers.
YRC demands the immediate reversal of the hike, noting that it is the second of such in one month.
It added that recent reports have shown that about 133 million Nigerians or 63 percent of the population live in multi-dimensional poverty as a fallout of the neo-liberal and anti-poor capitalist policies of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
The statement reads in part, "The Youth Rights Campaign (YRC) sees the continuous upward adjustment of the pump price of petrol by the NNPCL as a deliberate attack on the living standard of the Nigerian youths and workers. We hereby demand the immediate reversal of this wicked hike which is the second of such in one month.
"The regime of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has through the NNPCL increased pump price of fuel by 430% since May 29th 2023, against 35% salary increase of civil service workers. Besides, recent reports have shown that about 133 million Nigerians, 63 percent of the population, live in multi-dimensional poverty as a fallout of the neo-liberal and anti-poor capitalist policies of the Tinubu regime.
"Section 14(2b) of the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] provides that, 'the security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government.' Therefore, having plunged 133 million Nigerians into multidimensional poverty and insecurity in the country, it is clear that President Tinubu is acting in contravention of the constitution hence the urgent need for the mass of the Nigerian people to rise up to take their destinies in their hands.
"The statement made by the Senate President Goodwill Akpabio that Nigerians should cut short the number of their cars as a way to survive the regime incessant increase in pump price of fuel is a show of ignorance and insensitivity on the part of the president of Nigeria’s legislative arm who ought to know that 133 million multidimensional poor people do not have food to eat let alone owning a car.
"We call on Nigerian youths, workers, civil society organizations, students, women groups and trade unions to begin mobilization towards a 48-hour nationwide protest as the next phase of the #EndBadGovernance movement to demand immediate reversal of fuel price to pre-May 29th price, also reversal of electricity tariff and school fees as well as withdrawal of all neo-liberal policies of the regime.”
"We urge the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) to support the nationwide protest with the declaration for a 48-hour general strike and mass mobilisation of workers for active participation," it added.