. Wants reversal of fuel pump price to N165 per litre

By Steve Oko

The Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has accused President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of using the fuel subsidy palliatives as a ploy to deceive Nigerians into accepting the fuel price hike.

COSEYL which demanded the reversal of fuel pump price to N165 per litre, accused Tinubu of “treating Nigerians as war prisoners”

In a statement by its President General Goodluck Ibem, COSEYL claimed that President Tinubu “intends to use the palliative to deceive some gullible Nigerians into accepting the fraudulent current fuel price of N630 per litre.”

The statement is coming on the heels of the N5 billion and truck loads of grain Tinubu approved for every state to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal.

COSEYL told the President to stop taking Nigerians for granted but use his privileged position to better their lots and not increase their burdens.

“Nigerians have spoken in clear and loud terms that we want a reversal to N165 per litre for petrol and forget about his Greek Gift of sharing palliatives to few party members in a bid to deceive Nigerians into believing that he cares when in actual sense, Nigerians are dying through hardship and hunger.

“The unilateral increment of fuel price and other petroleum products aimed at making life difficult for Nigerians is a confirmation that President Tinubu has no regard for the lives of Nigerians. He sees Nigerians as his prisoners who have no choice but must accept anything he wants or desires to do which is not in tandem with democratic tenets.”

COSEYL recalled that “President Tinubu on assumption of office increased the price of fuel from N165 to N530 and from N530 to N630”, adding that “over 10 million Nigerians have died as a result of hardship.”

The statement further read:” Armed robbery attacks have increased by 70 percent as some youths who cannot find a means of survival have resorted to armed robbery where in most cases kill their victims in a bid to disposes them of their money and valuables.

“In Owerri, the Imo State capital, just within one week, armed robbers shot dead a retired police officer with his wife who runs a Point Of Sale (POS) business. A UK -based 30- year-old young man was was also shot dead by armed robbers robbing a POS operator. The list of those killed in Nigeria as a result of the hardship brought upon Nigerians by new fuel price are endless.”

The youth body said that “it is disheartening that in a supposed democracy where power belongs to the people, the people are not allowed to breathe.”

Continuing, it said:”The President and his team laughs at Nigerians as what we saw play out on the floor of the Senate where the Senate President and other senators laughed at Nigerians when a bill demanding that Nigerians should be allowed to breathe was read on the floor of the Senate.

“We are no longer running a democratic government in Nigeria but a kakistocracy that has no respect for the rights of Nigeria citizens.

“We demand that President Tinubu should reverse the fuel price to N165 per litre so that industries and companies that have closed shops as a result of the fuel increment can go back to work.

“The rate of unemployment is alarming and only reversal of fuel price to N165 per litre will save Nigerians from the present high rate of unemployment and hardship. “