Address fuel crisis or expect mass action, OAU students tell FG
The challenges faced by students due to the sudden surge in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit and the scarcity of the product have reached unprecedented levels, the Students’ Union of Obafemi Awolowo University said on Sunday.
The President of the union, Abbas Ojo, in a statement released on the campus in Ile-Ife, Osun State, and sent to PUNCH Online, urged the Federal Government to immediately address the issues.
The union threatened to hit the streets in protest if the situation persisted.
Our correspondent observed that since the weekend, queues have surfaced across some filling stations in Ogun and Lagos states as some stations also remained shut.
The PMS also known as petrol has been selling between N700 and N800 at some filling stations. Some persons claim to buy the fuel at prices higher than N800 in Lagos and Ogun with the situation causing a hike in transport fares.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had said some supply issues were responsible for the queues, urging customers to exercise patience.
A resident, Tomisin Bakare, who said he bought PMS from a filling station around the Lagos State University-Igando axis stated that he was shocked when the attendant said fuel was N700 per litre.
“This is after I had already spent over 50 minutes in the queue,” he added.
According to the students’s union president, the situation is not different in Osun, particularly around the campus environs where he noted bus drivers had increased fares.
“We, as students, can no longer endure the burden imposed by the government’s economic policies,” Ojo said.
“Last year, when the decision to remove fuel subsidy became public knowledge, many, including students, harboured doubts about its impact on the nation’s economy. Even those who supported the removal of subsidies were skeptical, given the absence of concrete plans to alleviate the ensuing challenges,” he added.
President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, during his swearing-in, announced the removal of fuel subsidy. Since then, Nigerians have been grappling with harsh economic realities coupled with the depreciation of the naira against the dollar.
“From soaring electricity tariffs to the skyrocketing cost of living, the adverse effects of the government’s capitalist policies have spared no one.
“Despite these challenges, students persist in their pursuit of education and academic endeavours. However, recent events such as fuel shortages and fluctuating prices have left students stranded both on campus and outside campus,” Ojo stressed, noting the students had been pushed to limits.
The union demanded immediate action from the FG to address the fuel scarcity, curb suspected hoarding of fuel, and regulate prices.
“We also demand that the government should revive the country’s refineries. The government must not test our will by not addressing these demands within the next 48 hours. Failure to do so, we shall hit the streets till the government addresses the fuel crisis which constitutes a threat to our academic pursuit,” the statement concluded.
- The Punch
