The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has given the Federal Government 48 hours to reverse the hike in the pump price of petrol, saying Nigerians are already impoverished by the adverse economic policies being implemented.
The student body, in a statement signed by the South-West Zonal Coordinator, Comrade Kappo Samuel Olawale, and Comrade Nurudeen Olatunji, the Public Relations Officer, on Wednesday, said it appeared that the FG was no longer ready to reciprocate the goodwill it enjoyed that made Nigerians vote it into office in 2015.
“Nigerian students believed in the ideology and the well-presented manifesto of the APC led federal government when seeking the mandate being enjoyed. Shockingly, going by the retrogressive policies of the APC led federal government, our interest in this government is beginning to wane. We think trust should be reciprocal. You should compensate Nigerians based on the delivery of the manifesto which we voted for. It’s fast becoming a criminal decorum to remain reticent in these lingering increments which are not tantamount to the expectation of Nigerians.
“These excruciating increments are not masses friendly policy neither friendly with the current situation when Nigerians are sweating profusely before food can be seen on their tables. There’s no dissenting opinion about the fact that the ravaging Coronavirus has wrecked a lot of havoc. The economy is dwindling, many Nigerians have lost their jobs, many breadwinners have kicked the bucket, and so on.
“As we speak, electricity tariff is about N5000 for 80 units depending on your choice of subscription. Petrol is now N162 per litre contrary to N87 per litre that Nigerians are used to. On this note, we urge President Muhammadu Buhari and APC bigwigs to quickly intervene and bring needed succour before it would be too late. If there’s no remedy, we shall not hesitate to storm the streets with our arsenals and demand our right through a very massive protest.”
