LAGOS — LAST week’s rise in fuel prices attracted more reactions yesterday with the Pan-Yoruba socio cutural group - Afenifere - asking consumers to resist the price hike or “surrender to death.”
Human rights group - Campaign for Democracy (CD) also asked consumers to resist the new prices.
Afenifere in a statement in Lagos said with the latest hike in fuel prices, the Obasanjo government has “finally lost the capacity to surprise Nigerians,” adding: “The regime has rehashed all the jaded arguments it has always proffered for unleashing horrible conditions on the people. As we have consistently maintained that, all the reasons given for price hike are mere excuses, which is a proof that some heads in government just like the nation’s refineries, are not working.
“Unfortunately, it is the ordinary people that are being made to bear the brunt of irresponsible governance. Or which responsible government in this world would gleefully announce that is has spent $800m to repair the nation’s refineries in 5 years which none is working and no one is in jail? Which responsible government in the world would say that it is increasing fuel price to check smuggling across the borders and yet spends the largest chunk of its budget on defence? Which responsible government in the world would preside over the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world and would depend on imported refined fuel at a price it cannot control for its domestic consumption just as it cannot determine the price of its crude?
“We had equally warned the nation that the ruthless zeal with which the presidency and the Audu Ogbeh led Pdp leadership were pursuing the Labour Bill at the National Assembly was meant to destroy the NLC so that no one would be able to rally Nigerians to resist oppressive polices of the regime. Now the wind has blown and the hen’s backside is for free view.
“We salute the resilience of Labour under Oshiomhole in this season of anomy. We encourage the National Executive Committee to declare a nationwide strike to resist this merciless move of Obasanjo regime. They are rest assured that the suffering millions of Nigerians are solidly behind them. It is the people’s battle and not that of Labour alone.
“We equally call on all Nigerians to gird their loins and be ready for the battle ahead. To allow the regime to get away with this is, to surrender to death. Not to resist this hike is to sign away our humanity. To fold our arms in the face of this onslaught is to pave way for a ‘third term.’ since it would be assumed that we are a conquered people.”
