The National Association of Nigerian Students on Friday
threatened to shut down the country should the Federal Government proceed to
remove subsidy from petrol.
The organisation called on Nigerians and all its allied
structures to be on the alert for further directives on the next action.
The President of NANS, Sunday Asefon, issued the threat
during a press conference held in Abuja.
According to him, although NANS was not totally against
deregulation, the conditions for such already agreed upon must be out in place
before deregulation.
The text of the briefing was titled “Nigeria will be shut
down should the Federal Government attempt the removal of fuel subsidy as
allegedly being proposed.”
Asefon said, “None of those conditions is in place at the
moment. It is therefore very strange that the Federal Government could
contemplate the removal of fuel subsidy now.
“The four refineries are not functioning, and if they are
functioning at all, it is at a near-zero level. There is zero consultation with
stakeholders to even consider issues around deregulation and why it should or
should not be. The survival of Nigerian workers and their wards is yet to be
discussed, yet a date that may take lives out of them have been fixed.
“Furthermore, inflation is already passing a skyrocketing
level. So we may need to find a word to describe the kind of inflation that
will be experienced if the pump price of PMS goes above 200 per cent.
“In fact, we are very convinced that the Federal Government
is acting impulsively on a matter as sensitive as this.
“NANS is rudely shocked by the statement credited to the
Group Managing Director of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari
to the effect that Premium Motor Spirit could sell as much as three hundred and
forty N340 by February 2022. This is said to be due to the plan of the Federal
Government to remove fuel subsidy and usher in an era of so-called
deregulation.
“Even more absurd is the proposal announced by the Honourable
Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajia Zainab Shamsuna Ahmed
that N5,000 will be paid to 40 million vulnerable Nigerians to cushion the
effect of the fuel subsidy removal.
“NANS is still trying hard to make an iota of good sense out
of this strange proposal. We shall return to this particular point.
“But let us first of all categorically state that on behalf
of the suffering millions of Nigerian students and on behalf of the millions of
the frustrated masses of the Nigerian people who are our parents, brothers and
sisters, uncles and aunts, friends and neighbours, we reject this
socio-economic evil proposal and we shall resist it.
“Nigerians are really suffering. We are in dire
socio-economic straits. We are weeping in our hearts and souls. We are dying in
silence. We feel the agony and anguish because we are practically involved.
Therefore, any attempt to aggravate the social woes and economic manacles that
we already face and wear will not only be unconscionable but reckless. It will
amount to testing the patience of Nigerians too far. And we wish to warn
against it.
“The country is very stretched and tensed. In case the
government is not aware, we are passing them this intelligence free of charge
now. Again we advise, let the government not stretch it further. The
consequences will be dire. The people are already flamed. Mendacity will beget
mendacity. NANS is happy that the organised labour and civil society groups
have all rejected the proposal.
“We shall ensure that the entire country is shut down and
paralysed should the Federal Government proceed with its insensitive plan of
deregulation, or even any further increase in the pump price of fuel. We have
had enough.
“We know that neo-liberal and imperial economists will soon
emerge to confuse themselves with some well-rehearsed stale analysis and
commentaries. Let us tell them already that nothing can change except the
practical reality of the socio-economic condition of Nigerians changes.
“No deregulation can happen on the basis of import-driven
deregulation. We are aware of our reality with all the ones already
deregulated, including Kerosene, diesel and cooking gas (which price has gone
totally out of control).”
Beyond the issues already raised, NANS said that in the 2022
Appropriation Bill, the Federal Government already provided for fuel subsidy.
NANS, therefore, wondered why government would provide for
what it plans to eliminate.
Asefon said, “Upon which data did the Honourable Minister of
Finance, Budget and National Planning determine that only 40 million Nigerians
are vulnerable? And what is the definition of vulnerability in our
socio-economic context? Where does she intend to generate the money which will
be paid to those 40 million Nigerians since there is no provision for it in the
2022 Appropriation Bill?
“Is it not very strange economics to rob the poor to pay the
poor even lower?
“On which economic sense or theory does five thousand Naira
(5,000) per month ‘cushion the inflationary effect of 200 per cent increment on
the central economic item of a country?
“It is really sad that government can contemplate something
as critical as deregulating the petroleum sector without thinking it through,
without consultation and without a robust debate.
“As far as we are concerned, this sinister plan is the quest
of government to get money at all costs to squander and finance the
ostentatious lifestyles of public officers and senior civil servants. And for
these selfish reasons, Nigerians much suffer to breaking limits for it. Again,
we reiterate that it is a total no, never.
“We, therefore, call on the Federal Government to rescind
the plan till adequate arrangements like refining at home and utilising our
petrochemical by-products are made. Then after that, there will be a robust
discussion by all stakeholders to deal with associated socio-economic issues
and discuss the details of the new regime. It is only on this condition that
there can be a corresponding social equilibrium, economic prosperity, job and
wealth creation for Nigerians.
“And while we hope that Federal Government will heed this
patriotic advice, we call on all our comrades, allies and all structures of
NANS to be on the alert. Nobody should be swayed or distracted. Because freedom
comes by struggle, we shall struggle to free ourselves from further socio-economic
chains.”
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