The National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) and other youth organisations have told President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately stop any further moves to withdraw the subsidy on fuel, saying the removal will further impoverish Nigerians.
NYCN president, Comrade Ajani James Olawale,? in a press briefing yesterday at the youth house said the council would mobilise youths against the government if it refused to accede to the wishes of the people on this matter, adding that the removal was a declaration of hostility against? innocent Nigerians.
To show the youths’ dissatisfaction with the subsidy removal policy, NYCN called on Nigerian youth to proceed on a one-day hunger strike on November 11 if the president refused to heed the call of the majority of Nigerians. ?
Ajani said NYCN would mobilize 500,000 youths for a total blockade of all roads leading to the Three Arms Zone, and would commence the collection of signatures for a vote of no confidence on the present administration by the Nigerian youth.
The youth president described the policy as “inconsiderate, wicked, unreasonable, insensitive and anti-people.
“We simply do not trust a government that decides the fate of the people without involving the young people just because they know we have superior and more valid reasons to support our position. The process of announcement is completely undemocratic and clearly provocative. It is particularly ill timed and they simply want Nigerians to pay for their inadequacies and ineffectiveness, the explanations given depicts a government that lacks confidence in its own local content capacity,” he said.
?“On behalf of the over 70 million Nigerian youths, I wish to declare in unequivocal terms that we will stand against the removal of fuel subsidy in all its ramifications. Also, the NYCN will collaborate with NLC, TUC, ASUU, NBA, NUJ, NCWS, NAWOJ and NURTW to fight this evil,” he assured, said it was It is worrisome that an elected government with a robust parliament was behaving like a dictatorial regime.
“If not, why will government set an irrevocable terminal date for the total? removal of subsidy? Why can’t they put the necessary infrastructures in place before thinking of removal of the subsidy. We are indeed pained and sad that a government that was almost single handedly brought into power by Nigerian youth could embark on a project such as this without any clear, concise, debate, negotiated, agreed and effectively communicated to all it people,” he querried.