General News
Protests Rocks Benin Over Fuel Subsidy Removal
FROM Lateef Taiwo
The Edo State Civil Society Organizations (EDOCSO) and other civil rights groups in Edo state, yesterday, protested the hardship brought upon Nigerians following the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.
The protest which kicked off at the oba ovoramen square extended to other parts such as Akpakpava,. through to mission road and new Benin market
Another group of protesters were also at the Edo State house of Assembly for hours.
Aside the hike in petrol they are rejecting the.planned parliatives.
They also called on the national Assembly to.
The various groups took their rallies through the major streets in Benin metropolis, vis-a-vis, Mission Road, Akpakpava Road, Ring Road and others.
The EDOCSO brandished placards that read thus “In less than two months, Tinubu Government is chocking Nigerians to death, Tinubu let us breath,
“Kill corruption not Nigerians, cost of living in Nigeria is chocking us, FG allow the poor to breath and Keep your palliatives, fix our refinaries”
Addressing newsmen in Benin City, the EDOCSO interim president, Comrade Austin Enabulele, said while the group appreciated the removal of the petroleum subsidy by the federal government, the government should have put modality in place to cushion the pains that the removal will have on the poor masses
” We appreciate that he has removed subsidy because they are using it to steal from us but then, before you do that, you must put palliative in place, you must ensure that the refinaries are working even if it is two, they should be working so that they can be able to buy fuel in an affordable price in Nigeria”, Enabulele said.
He quarried the rationale behind the N8, 000 proposed palliative for 12 million Nigerians which will eventually amount to N996 billion while N70 billion will be spent on 469 national assembly members.
“And we have come to tell him that we don’t need the N8000 palliatives. He should keep it to himself . It is another way of stealing Nigerians money.
“How do you get the statistics of 12 million Nigerians that you want to pay N996 billion to as palliatives? Meanwhile, you want to spend N70 billion for the national house of assembly who are just 469 members.
“Is that not stealing? Is that not calling Nigerians fools? We want to let President Bola Tinubu know that we are not fools and that enough is enough”, Enabulele added.
Speaking also, President, Talakawa’s Parliament (TP) Comrade Kola Edokpayi, said “it is no longer news that the poverty rate has increased under the watch of our president.
” It is sad we are where we are today. We cannot continue like this. Imagine lawmakers proposed N70bn palliative when the masses are suffering.”