The coalition of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs in Kano State have urged President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to as a matter of urgency reverse his earlier decision on the removal of fuel subsidy.
According to statement signed by the leaders of the groups and made available to newsmen, Nigerian citizens have been facing untold hardship ever since the fuel subsidy was scrapped.
They also added that, removal of the subsidy has led to increased level of inflation and unprecedented hike in the transport fare.
The statement reads below; We are a Group of Civil Society Organizations working in various fields of human endeavour in Kano State and beyond. The Group is deeply concerned with the economic hardship faced by the citizens of Nigeria, particularly the impact on the underprivileged.
The Group believe that the recent removal of fuel subsidy is a major contributing factor to this hardship, among other multifactorial reasons. Since the removal of the fuel subsidies, social unrest, poverty and inflation have been on the rise aggressively. Living standards of the underprivileged Nigerians who are the majority are massively falling. Costs of food, education and healthcare which are the necessities of life are almost unattainable for the average Nigerian.
Studies have shown that since the removal of fuel subsidies, transportation fares have shot up by over 200%. More families are experiencing unbearable hardship; children are crying massively because of hunger, and millions of parents weep profusely every day at their children’s despair.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report in 2023, inflation for May 2023 increased by 4.70% compared to May 2022. Additionally, the month-on-month inflation rate for May 2023 was 0.03% higher than in April 2023.
On the other hand, the food inflation rate of 24.82% in May rose to 25.25% and 26.98% at the end of June and July, respectively. This trend indicates that the removal of subsidies has contributed to a persistent rise in inflation and food rates.
Unfortunately, the social cushioning and protection measures by the government more recently have been marred with alleged corruption while short-changing the potential beneficiaries who ideally are the poor Nigerians.
In light of this, we urgently call upon President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to without delay return fuel subsidies and also rescind other anti-poor policies within the next two weeks. Failing this, the Group is prepared to stage a mega protest to voice the collective concerns of the citizens affected by these ill-timed policies.
The Group emphasizes the importance of policies that prioritize the well-being of all Nigerians, especially the most vulnerable. The return of fuel subsidies and the review of anti-poor policies are crucial steps towards alleviating the economic burden on the citizens.
We urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the relevant authorities to engage in constructive dialogue and take swift action to address these pressing issues.
The Group remains committed to advocating for the rights and welfare of the people and will continue to pursue peaceful and impactful means to achieve these objectives.
