By Sani Idris
when you by asking me and I’m going to go skiing I’m going to
The Arewa Citizens Watch for Good Governance, (ACWGG), a watchdog group advocating for good governance, says it would hold massive protest on August 3 against fuel subsidy removal.
They would also hold the protest to show their dissatisfaction to the leadership of the NNPCL GMD Mele Kyari, while calling for his sack.
Addressing the press on Sunday in Kaduna, the Publicity Secretary of the group, Aminu Abbas, said the recent increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), has led to widespread hunger in the Northern region.
Abbas recalled the artificial fuel scarcity in 2022 and early 2023 which led to a build-up of queues in filling stations.
“Miraculously, the queues disappeared immediately after the 2023 general elections.
“The endemic and systemic corruption that the Corporation is known for encouraged the racketeering in the defunct subsidy administration which ended up lining the pockets of major marketers with petro-dollars and further reduced resources available for the usage of the common,”he said.
Abbas explained that most Nigerians believed that the forces behind the scarcity and unwarranted increase in the price of PMS were working against the interest of President Bola Tinubu, which according to him, ended up boomeranging.
“The dark forces took the fight to another dimension by persuading the then President-elect to announce the removal of the subsidy without carrying out a proper situation analysis.
“This, we believe was done to punish poor Nigerians who willingly voted for President Tinubu. Indeed, Nigerians are serving the artificial punishment which is reminiscent of the hard training our armed forces undergo.
“We are afraid that should the tribunal and Supreme Court Justices order for a rerun election today, we doubt if the President can survive it,”he added.
The Publicity Secretary perceived the termination of the subsidy regime, where the NNPCL is planning to reaward Pipeline Surveillance Contract to the Tompolo-owned Tantita Security Company.
He said that
it was a deliberate way of passing vote of no confidence on the Armed Forces, who are working tirelessly to ensure that Nigerians are able to sleep with their two eyes closed.
Abbas therefore noted that on the premise, they are mobilising their members to converge at the NNPC Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, to commence mass civil action that will force the NNPCL supreme ruler to either step aside or be sacked by President Tinubu.
“We understand that things are very tough for our compatriot. They either come out to protest their way to freedom or stay home to acquire stomach ulcer which might lead to their ultimate end,”he said.
He called on the security agencies to mobilise their men to give them the necessary protection, noting that they would only exercise their inalienable right to peaceful protest.(NAN)(www.nannew.ng)
