Occasioned by the increased in petroleum and electricity prices, some NGOs and Civil society organizations in Edo state, Monday protested against the hike in Benin city, calling on the President to reverse the hike
The protesters who came to the NUJ press centre carried placards withinscriptions-” No to Electricity Hike price”; No to Fuel price”; Nigeria belongs to all of us”; To hate the poor is a sin”; many other written words.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, a former Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice in Edo State, Barrister Osagie Obayuwana called on President Muhammdu Buhari to reverse the price.
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” We are here to protest the increased of fuel and electricity hike. We are offended that President Buhari said he has the audacity that we should expect more increase. It is unfortunate that him and his collaborators can put us in pain. “
” It cannot work, Nigeria people are saying no more increase in fuel and electricity prices. How can the President turn over 20O million Nigerians into target or market of people less than 50% to please his friends and relatives. Every house and office has been turned involuntary to BEDC for extortion. “
“They choose what they are going to charge the masses. They make us pay even though they didn’t give us light. Nigeria has not make any progress as far as electricity is concerned. They are making billions of naira and make us pay for darkness. When we are contending with that, people are forcing us to use generator.”
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” No Journalists can work without power, so is other people. We have been exporting crude oil since 1958. President Muhammdu Buhari, during his campaign boasted he will build one refinery every year, as part of fixing the existing refineries. Has he done that? No. “
“The failure to fix our refinery is to have way for business to his friends and relatives. What has been done in electricity sector is what they want to do in petroleum sector. The Constitution forbid the concentration of wealth in the hands of the few by privatizing electricity supply. “
“President Buhari has violated the Constitution by seeking to privatize the petroleum industry, is also in the process of violating that same section of the Constitution.”
“For anybody to imagine that we Nigerians will continue to tolerate this, is impossible. This is a movement that a new Nigeria is in a process of being born. We are sending this words to President Muhammdu Buhari to reverse the electricity and fuel hike.”
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” If this demands are not meant, we will show President Buhari that he is a public servant. That we are the government by serving him a notice and we shall declare civil disobedience of highest order. We feel the pain and we cannot tolerate the oppression,” Obayuwana said.