A coalition of Civil Society Organization under the aegis of the CSOs Strategists has urged Nigerians to persevere more and join hands with the present day federal government to fight the existing parasitic cabals, all out to frustrate economic reforms initiated by the removal of fuel subsidy.
In a statement jointly signed by Comrade Ahmed Balogun the Convener Frontline Socio–Economic Research Centre and Comrade Alex Omotehinse of Centre for Human and Socio-Economic Rights, the coalition pleaded with Nigerians who evidently grapples with the hassles of fuel scarcity not to fall for the plan of the economic saboteurs.
“The organization observed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration is pursuing the right direction in its economic reform policies , which shall inevitably set solid foundation for the country’s development strides.
“It noted that the President , from the Inauguration on 29th. May , 2023 has been unambiguous on its resolved for economic reforms particularly on the removal of subsidles on petroleum products .
The coalition however, cited the humanness of the government in that certain buffers were made available to the people to cushion the biting effect of the development.
“It may be trite to emphasis here that all the leading political parties in the last general elections PDP and LP were in concurrent on the dire imperative to remove subsidies that have become canker worms on our national economy – feeding fat cabals:
“However , the Federal Gouvernement announced a number of economic initiatives which would have effectively addressed any long – term negative consequences in order to tackle the perennial energy crisis in the country .
“These include ; surmounting pervasive insecurities ; ensuring some of the nations’ refineries become operational ; building new refineries and , support for private sector participation in the sector particularly the Dangote Refinery . All these have datelines for around the last quarter last year, 2023.
“Records at our disposal , show that geniune efforts are vigorously exerted to meet up these objectives and soon , Nigerians and the country shall reap the dividends of these economic reform policies.”
Noting that the current scarcity of petroleum products is artificial, the group assert that the gang-up by subsidy cabals were responsible for this and tasked the federal government to conduct forensic audit of the petroleum industry to fish out economic saboteurs.
“We are not perturbed by the exacerbation of the present artificial scarcity . It would be infantile illusion to expect that petroleum products ‘ parasitic cabals, profiteering from the subsidy regime would just applaud PBAT’s Federal Government’s subsidy removal policy without a fight – back.
“We are apt to assert that the nation is suffering now in the throes of a devious gang – up by subsidy cabals” whose sinister plan is to hike the prices of petroleum products”!
“We are bold to call the attention of hapless Nigerians to the fact that entrenched forces within the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Ltd, and Independent Petroleum Marketing Association of Nigeria, IPMAN are consciously orchestrating the scarcity of petroleum products to engender a new, high price regime .
“We, thus , unequivocally call on the Federal Government and PBAT to urgently conduct a forensic audit of the industry with a view to fishing out the “Economic Saboteurs” entrenched in the system!”
“We are equally not un – aware that the present situation many be opportunistically explored by forces of distractions to forment further social and political chaos.
“We call on all Nigerians to be eternally vigilant and wary of detractors, keen on creating crisis to destabilise our national polity.
“The CSOs Strategists plead with all Nigerians to be patient , persever and calm, this storm shall pass. The truth is that . We have no other country . As they say in street parlance , ” Even if their is SAPA , we cannot JAPA ! .
“It is time for all of us to put on our creative, ingenious caps and Fix – Nigeria. No one else can do that for us but ourselves. Despite the pains, light of gains shall be for us all, at the end of the tunnel.”