The National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) on Friday warned the Federal Government against removing subsidies on petroleum products.
Zainab Ahmed, the Minister of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, had on Wednesday announced that the government would remove fuel subsidy in June 2022 and replace it with a monthly N5,000 transport grant to about 40 million poor Nigerians.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, NANS President, Adedayo Asefon said the Federal Government embarking on such a decision will further heighten the hardship in the country.
The students’ body also rejected the government’s plan to pay N5,000 transport allowance to 40 million Nigerians to cushion the effect of soaring fuel prices.
“Nigeria will be shut down should the Federal Government attempt to remove the fuel subsidy as allegedly being proposed,” Asefon said.
“It is merely an attempt to add a new dimension of economic woes upon Nigerians through this removal of fuel subsidy.
“We wish to state further that before Federal Government can take any decision on the removal of subsidy, it must first demonstrate goodwill by ensuring that the NNPC makes the four refineries we have in this country work at full capacity to determine the exact cost of refining the products in the country.
“Nigeria cannot continue to use this cause of the implication of the petrol as the benchmark for determining the appropriate price of the products.”
