Jos – Some residents of Plateau have voiced their opposition to the planned removal of petroleum subsidy by the Federal Government, saying the action will inflict more hardship on the average Nigerians.

They said, in separate interviews, that the spiral effects would result in hikes in prices of essential commodities and make life more difficult for Nigerians.

“Nigerians should be allowed to enjoy the subsidy on oil to be able to cope with the current hard times. There is no need to worsen the situation for the poor,” Miss Dorcas James, a student of the University of Jos, said.

She cautioned that the action would have debilitating effect on all the sectors of the economy, stressing that traders and  service providers would transfer the rise in costs of products and services to consumers.

Dorcas said that subsidy was the “the only national cake’’ enjoyed by all Nigerians, warning that any decision to remove it would be a great deservice to Nigerians.

Mr Sunday Odey, a Jos-based lawyer, said he supported the proposal that proceeds from the subsidy removal would be committed to the provision of infrastructure.

He, however, noted with regret that such proceeds were usually misapplied or unaccounted for.

“It is a welcome idea if the proceeds will benefit all of us, but that is hardly going to be the case, going by our past experiences.”

Odey advised President Goodluck Jonathan to always be critical of advices from his aides, especially on issues that could have lots of negative effects on the citizenry.

“Only the common man will feel the effect of the removal. This is why the president must be more critical.”

He argued that the multiplier effects of the removal would make nonsense of the N18,000 minimum wage currently being implemented across the country, with the prices of commodities shooting up.

For Mr Daniel Danjuma, the Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), the planned removal of the subsidy would be very unfair to the ordinary Nigerians.

“With the recent revelations alleging mismanagement of the subsidy funds by some individuals, government should have a rethink over the removal.

“It is clear that some individuals are feeding fat from the subsidy. Government should investigate and arrest the situation rather than pushing the masses to the wall.

“We will stand against the removal, because it will affect us directly as a transport union. Implementing the decision will only confirm that government does not care how the common man feels.”

Mr Gunshin Yarlings, the Chairman, Plateau chapter of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), said the planned removal was “simply unacceptable“ to the Nigerian teachers.

“We expect government to implement policies that will improve the lives of the masses. The removal of oil subsidy will not.”

While commending government on the implementation of the N18,000 minimum wage, he said that the gains from the  gesture would be eroded if the oil subsidy was removed. (NAN)