Fuel subsidy removal stirs anger, protests in major parts of Nigeria

Angry protesters

Protests and anger on Monday greeted Sunday’s announcement of the removal of subsidy on petrol by the Federal Government.

In Abuja, the Lagos, Ibadan, Kaduna and other parts of the country, Nigerians of diverse classes and economic status reacted angrily to the removal even as the price of petrol fluctuated between the N141 maximum price prescribed by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency and N200.

Starting from the morning on Monday, protesters gathered at the Eagle Square in the Federal Capital City to sign a register to reject the removal of subsidy and the consequent hardship. The protesters were mobilised by a group known as Nigeria Unite Against Subsidy Removal, led by a former member of the House of representatives, Dino Melaye.

Soldiers from the Presidential Villa under the command of the Commander of Brigade of Guards, Brig. Gen. Emmanuel Atewe, however, dispersed the protesters and arrested their leaders, including Melaye.

Others arrested with Melaye were a journalist with Daily Trust, Abdulwasiu Hassan; Eze Nwagwu, Mbasekei Obono, Nasiru Magaji and Kalid Ismail.

In Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, students, under the aegis of National Association of Nigerian Students and National Association of Kwara State Students trooped out to protest the subsidy removal. Coordinated by the duo of Basambo Kabir and Akorede Kabir, the students said the fuel subsidy removal was an insensitive action by President Goodluck Jonathan and asked the Federal Government to reverse the removal.

Policemen, however, arrived the scene and dispersed the students before the protest could turn violent.

In Kaduna, Balarabe Musa, a former governor of the state, described the subsidy removal as “imperialist” and warned of “looming anarchy.”

Musa said, “The imperialist guided unilateral, vulgar and mindless removal of oil subsidy by the President of Nigeria, even if the subsidy existed before, has opened the floodgate of anarchy.

“It is also so unfortunate that the president did not have the executive and moral capacity to redirect the outcome associated with the decision.

“As it stands, the National Assembly, the civil society and labour should immediately take up the mandate of leading the people back from the anarchy that is looming. Any one of the above that takes up the mantle first should be supported by others. If not, what is going to happen in Nigeria will be a child’s place to the Arab Springs.”