Petrol Was Not Cheap Before Subsidy Removal

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore asserts that the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government hasn’t made petrol affordable for the average Nigerian.

Sowore shared on Facebook, “I’ve never heard anything like this before. A policy such as the total deregulation of the Nigerian oil sector which is popularly and incorrectly referred to as subsidy removal has brought untold hardship on our people, and as a result, gasoline (petrol) which was actually before too expensive was severely manipulated so that the petrol is now so expensive.”

With the subsidy removal, petrol prices soared from around N198/200 to N617 per litre. This spike has affected the cost of living, from transportation to feeding, as local consumption dwindled.

In response to the policy change, organized labour groups, including the Nigerian Labour Congress and Trade Union Congress, staged a protest last Wednesday.

Discussing his history of activism, Sowore mentioned a longstanding tradition of resistance, tracing back to his early years.

He further stated, “Starting from the disdain I had for the police when they raided my village in Ondo State in 1980, I also followed through when forces of oppression introduced the Structural Adjustment Programme on our people in the 80s when I was a university student. I also worked assiduously with so many of our compatriots to drive the military out of power when they were the instrument used to subjugate and oppress our people.

“I am not new to poverty, I grew up poor in the Niger Delta region even though the wealth of my nation comes from there. But my growing up there and my experiences confronting oppression sharpened my personal disdain for impunity because I feel sad that Nigeria ought to be the most admired nation in the world. It ought to be a country that has progressed beyond this. This nation must fight its way out and win.”