Fuel price hike: NANS to commence protest, September 15

The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has announced a nationwide protest, slated for September 15, 2024, across major cities in Nigeria to express displeasure over the new pump price announced by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC).

This was stated by NANS, adding that, “The protest, tagged ‘Fuel Price Hike: A Threat to Our Future,’ will take place on September 15, 2024, across major cities in Nigeria.”

This announcement was made on Tuesday in a statement signed by NANS National Senate President, Comrade Henry Okunomo, a copy of which was made available to the press in Kano.

He stated that NANS is “appalled and disheartened by the recent announcement of yet another hike in fuel prices by the NNPC.”

Furthermore, the statement issued a clarion call for a nationwide protest against what it described as an “egregious act.”

“We demand an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and a more compassionate approach to governance,” Okunomo said.

“We urge all Nigerian students, civil society organizations, and the masses to join us in this peaceful demonstration as we demand an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and a more compassionate approach to governance.”

According to him, “We shall not be silenced, and we shall not be intimidated. We shall rise in unison to demand a better deal for Nigerian students and the masses.”

He further disclosed that “This latest development is the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back, as it has become patently clear that the NNPC, under the leadership of its Director-General, Mele Kyari, has failed woefully in its primary responsibility of ensuring a stable and affordable fuel supply.”

Since his appointment, Mr. Kyari has presided over a regime of unrelenting fuel price increases, with each hike further exacerbating the suffering of the masses. This, Okunomo argued, is a clear indication of Kyari’s “gross incompetence and inability to deliver on his mandate.”

“The NNPC, under his watch, has become a behemoth of inefficiency, perpetuating a cycle of hardship and despair for the Nigerian people,” he added.

NANS, therefore, demands the immediate removal of Mr. Mele Kyari as the Director-General of the NNPC. “His continued stay in office is an affront to the sensibilities of the Nigerian people and a stark reminder of the government’s insensitivity to their plight,” the statement concluded.