37 CS0s plan solidarity march for Fuel Subsidy Removal

The Conference of Minority Tribes in Nigeria in conjunction with the Nigeria Unemployed Youth Vanguard and 35 other civil society organisations in Nigeria will on Monday hold a one-million-man-march to express their support for President Muhammadu Buhari on “the bold step he took in removing fuel subsidy”.

Coordinator and Chief Convener of the Forum, Okpokwu Ogenyi, who spoke with newsmen yesterday in Abuja on the planned protest commended Nigerians on their trust in “a government whose interest is of the common man.”

“We are not very poor as a nation but some certain elements called cabal hitherto hijacked the system in the name of oil subsidy.

“Successive governments had tried to remove oil subsidy otherwise known as deregulation of the downstream sector of the oil industry. It’s either the previous governments lacked the political will to salvage our dear country or the confidence of Nigerians in implementing such idea,” Ogenyi said.

He noted that “today, Nigerians are happy for having a President who enjoy the confidence of Nigerians and as well has the political will to redefine the history of our country by alleviating the sufferings of the common masses.”

Ogenyi added: “We must commend a leader with zero tolerance for corruption whose regime is restoring hope for hopeless Nigerians and as well, redeeming the image of our dear country before the international community.

“In 2012, we mobilised ourselves as civil society bodies against the decision of then government of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan to remove subsidy because we did not trust him. Basically, he did not take practical steps that convinced Nigerians as President Buhari did by excluding oil subsidy from the 2016 appropriation bill, which is the working budget of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We must support a true idea that promises hope for Nigerians.”

He continued: “We have agreed to support the decision of the Federal Government especially in the area of oil subsidy removal. As you can see, those protesting against oil subsidy removal are scanty which shows that Nigerians are not with them.

“As civil societies, we must stand with the ordinary Nigerian in ensuring a better standard of living for our dear citizens.

“We call on the factional NLC to immediately suspend her actions or face the wrath of the ordinary Nigerians. With the recent unpatriotic actions of the Ayuba Wabba-led faction of the NLC, Nigerians are angry with him.

“We shall lead Nigerians in a one-million-man solidarity march in Abuja and major cities in Nigeria in support of government’s decision that removed oil subsidy on Monday.”