Hunger protest: NDYC Urges Tinubu to Revisit Economic Policies, Reduce Fuel Price 'to Barest Minimum'

AS the #EndBadGovernance national protest enters its day three on Saturday, a sociopolitical group in the South South, the Niger Delta Youth Council (NDYC) has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to "address the main cause of the protest by reducing  fuel price to N180 per litre or to the barest minimum for the sake of the national economy".

This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Comrade Bene Mamamu and Comrade Onitsha Shedrack, the NDYC President and Secretary respectively, copies of which were made available to journalists in Warri Delta State on Saturday.

The group specifically urged President Tinubu to "revisit some of his economic policies that are surfocating Nigerians and occasioning the present protest".The statement partly reads, 

“As a youth organisation in Niger Delta, we are calling on President Bola Tinubu to reconsider some of his economic policies that has brought about unprecedented hardship on Nigerians. Subsidy of petroleum products was the only benefit enjoyed by the ordinary Nigerians.

"Since the removal of subsidy, Nigerians have been suffering, businesses, companies, investors and the common man have experienced the worst form of hardship. 

"This has resulted into this nationwide protest as the only means by which the people express their civil rights, vent their frustration and tell the political class that enough is enough".

While urging security operatives not to harass peaceful protesters, the Niger Delta group warned protesting Nigerians to shun all forms of violence and destruction of public properties in the name of the protest just as it appealed to them to "calm down and stop the protest while President Tinubu addresses the current economic hardship bedeviling the country".

The NDYC while commending President Tinubu for providing palliatives however noted that "the resources being expended for the provision and distribution of palliatives to some selected few could be channeled to fully subsidise petroleum products before addressing infrastructural needs of the country".

The group urged Nigerians to be patient with Tinubu and appealed to the protesters to "calm down and stop the protest for normal life and businesses to thrive".
It added that "the protest is doing the economy more harm than good".

The group further urged President Tinubu to "call for a meeting of stakeholders, leaders and the youths across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria to brainstorm on possible long-term solution aimed at addressing the current challenges in the country".

"It will be in the best interest of the country if President Tinubu calls for immediate stakeholders meeting especially with leaders and youth groups of the various regions in the country so as to have another look into the issue of fuel subsidy removal, and how Nigerians have fared and address their legitimate demands", it reiterated.

It stated further, "We pray for the president to have a rethink on commercialization of education and floating of Naira, and increase in electricity tariff all of which have led to job losses amidst several other devastating consequences,
"What is needed at this time is how the President will immediately address the issues and initiate policies to push down prices, not palliatives that often net into the hands of some few. Palliatives is never a solution to any problem in this country.

"Niger Delta Youth Council led by Comrade Bene Mamamu will be reaching out to their counterparts in Kano State for North-West, Adamawa for North-East, Plateau State for North-Central, Akwa Ibom State for South-South, Lagos State for South-West and Anambra State, South-East to have a meeting with President Tinubu to propose a means of tackling the high cost of living.

"It is urgent as inflation on food, Fuel has affected industries and the common man, the economic hardship is causing citizens their lives. 

"Mr. President should urgently look into the situation and fix the country.

"For all protesters, let us give peace a chance, the more the protest the more difficult the economic hardship, We are appealing as a council to Mr. president to repay the subsidy if possible, where fuel will come down to 185, 200 or 300 Naira per litre.

"We urge Mr. President to go back to the drawing board and revert back to our previous living before he took over office as the number one citizen of the country.

"The National Assembly members and other Lawmakers in the country should focus on legislation aimed at providing economic solutions for Nigerians.

"If the President could change the national anthem with much ease and speed, why can't he channel similar proactive measures to fix the country".