Group threatens protest, says petrol subsidy crisis causing suffering

A group known as the Free Nigeria Movement (FNM) has asked President Bola Tinubu to reverse his announcement on the removal of the petrol subsidy.

While delivering his inaugural speech on Monday, Tinubu said “petrol subsidy is gone” and that the immediate administration did not make provision for such in the 2023 appropriation act.

Tinubu’s declaration was followed by panic-buying of petrol while access to the product became difficult.

Addressing a media conference on Thursday, Moses Paul, convener of FNM, said the government should have put palliatives in place before the announcement of the removal of the petrol subsidy.

“While we understand the need to bring the criminal regime of subsidy to a close, we do not understand the urgency of this pronouncement given that a prior arrangement by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration set the withdrawal of subsidy for June 2023,” Paul said.

“The hurry without any consideration of what cushioning mechanisms would be put in place to lessen the agony of our vast poor demography is most worrisome.

“We are, therefore, curious like many Nigerians, of what the intention of the pronouncement was.”

He said the petrol subsidy crisis has brought “attendant inflationary effect, impact on livelihoods, decreased household income, high rate of criminal activities and other effects”.

FNM asked Tinubu to “immediately” rescind the pronouncement, adding that failure to do so within seven days will elicit nationwide protests.

“We call for the immediate reversal of this pronouncement, the failure of which we shall begin national protests within the next seven days,” Paul said.

“This is the lawful duty and right of every Nigerian. We are aware of ongoing talks with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the many actors lobbying for an acceptance of the new pump price by the NLC leadership.

“We call on the NLC to remain steadfast.”