Premise for protests over withdrawal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria
By Shout-Africa Nigeria Correspondent- Chinyere Ogbonna – Nigerians say the premise of the on-going protest in Nigeria is basically lack of trust in the leadership of the country.
Majority of the protesters are saying that previous Nigerian leaders have been promising the people basic infrastructure in annual budgets yet the country lacks basic facilities in schools, no healthcare, no good roads, no housing programme, no social welfare package for the aged and the unemployed in the country. Other basic facilities like potable water, steady power supply are also lacking.
They argued that though the Federal Government is saying that the money accrued from the fuel subsidy removal would be used to create jobs, provide good roads across the country, they do not believe that the government would deliver in its promises if past administrations in the country could not win the confidence of Nigerians since the nation’s independence in spite of huge provisions made in budget for such projects. According to some of the youths who spoke to Shout-Africa.com correspondent, in FESTAC town and elsewhere in Lagos, trust should be earned and past administrations failed the nation, there is absolutely no reason to trust the present administration of Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
They called for the arrest of those “cabals” alleged to have been benefiting from fuel subsidy. Many of them accused the government of being insincere in the fight against corruption in the country. They say that Nigerians cannot continue to bear the bronze for their own inefficiency, this they said is unacceptable! Shout-Africa.com during the protest caught up a legal practitioner, Mr. Chigozie Okoro who coordinated the demonstration around FESTAC town axis in Amuwo Odofin area of Lagos south -west Nigeria who noted that government is an institution, hence the need for continuity in government programmes.
He insisted that if President Jonathan wants Nigerians to believe him, he should get all the former Managing Directors of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to refund all the stolen money.
