“We’ll Support Subsidy Removal If…”

Biodun Aremu

– Abiodun Aremu, Secretary, Joint Action Forum, JAF
By Olawale Abideen
What is your position on the fuel subsidy removal?
We have always made our position known. The Joint Action Forum, an umbrella body for labour unions and civil society groups has consistently reminded government of the 2009 agreement which among others include: “fixing of all the refineries, building of new refineries, regular power supply and provision of other social infrastructure such as railways and repairs of roads as well as eliminating the corruption associated with supply and distribution of petroleum products in the downstream sector of the oil industry. But government decided to upturn the scale of preference of the agreement by choosing to implement the one that is favourable to the government. We can only support subsidy removal if all these policies are implemented accordingly. This is the real palliative measure and not the insincere measures been contemplating by the government.
Are you in anyway ready to go back to the roundtable with the government?
There is no need to cry when the head has already been caught off. Jonathan has orchestrated his worse gesture. He dares the masses and took Nigerians for ride. Therefore, we are not interested in any roundtable resolution. We’ll only comence negotiation when the hike is reversed. We are also appealing to the President to sample the opinion of the masses and not the bourgeois who have enough to cope with the had effect of hike in the pump price.
What is the JAF next action?
JAF had reiterated its position to reject the hike in pump price. We have also sent red signal to all filling stations, markets, shops and banks to remain shut from Monday 9. We are protesting the obnoxious policy with strikes and peaceful rallies across the country. The battle is going to be perpetual. We are determined to paralyse the nation’s economy. It is not labour battle alone. We have sent solidarity message to our allies and even ordinary Nigerians are ready to reject the anti masses policy.
We learnt that some Labour leaders who are loyal to former NLC President and Edo state governor, Adams Oshiomhole are prevailing on the NLC to shield their sword?
No amount of intimidation or persuasion can reduce people’s suffering unless the bad policy is reversed. No external forces or internal traitor can stop the people’s wish. We have received a lot of invitation which were turned down. Our position is to force government reverse the hike. Virtually all commodities have been affected by this ugly ‘new year gift’ by President Jonathan. Due to this upward review of prices, the pump price for petrol is now selling for between N141 and N200 per litre nation-wide rather than N65. The immediate negative impact of this price increase is felt on transport cost, food, drugs, school fees, rents. This is an indicative of the fact that government is totally wrong to underestimate the impact assessment of the deregulation policy.
But there are indications that Nigerians are coping with the new price and it appears as if the NLC, JAF and its allies are taking this issue too personal?
That is a wrong assumption. Who told you that Nigerians are coping? Where do we see this crowd of protesters if Nigerians are coping with the new policy? I think most Nigerians are unaware of their right to protest against bad government policy. People who purchase the fuel above the normal price of N65 per litre are the ignorant ones who are gullible of the notion that the few people in government are powerful than all the citizens in the country.
But now, we have sensitised Nigerians and the battle line is drawn. The federal government cannot dictate to all Nigerians.
Some people believe that government reserve the right to push policies and implement programmes aimed at improving the lot of the country… (cuts in)
Yes, but such policy must have human face. The citizen of this great country also have a right to reject bad policies. Nigerians are not ignorant of the cartel that feed fat on the subsidy money but the government has failed to put necessary measures in place before removing the subsidy. We have this oil and we don’t deserve to go extra mile to enjoy it. No where in the world where citizen of a country pay a price of the international market for their naturaly endowed recourses.