As reactions and outrage trail yesterday’s hike in the pump price of petrol, the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, has vowed to mobile Nigerian youths for a peaceful protest against the development.

COSEYL described the unilateral increase of petrol pump prices by the Federal Government as not only wicked but the height of insensitivity and recklessness on the part of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration.

The apex socio-political youth group in the South East rejected every form of fuel subsidy palliative, and insisted on reversal of petrol pump price to N198 per litre.

In a statement jointly signed by its President General Goodluck Ibem, and Secretary, Comrade Okey Nwaoru, COSEYL accused Tinubu of having no feelings for the excruciating hardship the Nigerian masses are already passing through as a result of the initial hike in petrol price.

“This is gross insensitivity and wickedness of the highest order”, the statement said.

According to the statement, the continued hike in petrol pump price is no longer an economic policy but a pursuit of a yet-to-be-disclosed agenda.

It read in part: “The recent fuel price hike has proved beyond every reasonable doubt that the previous fuel price increment from N198 to N520 was not as a result of subsidy removal but it is a well-calculated attempt to impoverish Nigerians so that they will not have the energy and strength to challenge the Federal Government in whatever way.

Before former President Muhammadu Buhari handed over to President Bola Tinubu, fuel was sold for N198 in fuel stations and upon assumption of office of President Tinubu, unilaterally increased it from N198 to N520 and N550 depending on the state.

“When Nigerians are still battling with hardship to settle with the previous price of N520, the same President Tinubu within two months in office increased the same price of fuel to N617.

“If we deduct the new President Tinubu’s fuel price of N617 from N198 of former President Buhari’s old price, the answer is 419. This tells Nigerians the kind of President we are dealing with.”

COSEYL urged Nigerians to jettison ethnic bias and other sentiments and unite against anti-people policies of the ruling class.

“It is high time Nigerians throw away ethnicity, tribe, religion and other evil tactics used by the political class to divide us and face the monsters who are hell-bent to destroy the livelihood of the common masses.

“Now that the fuel price have been increased to N617 per litre, do we have any Yoruba , Hausa/Fulani or Igbo fuel stations where his tribe men or religious members can buy it at a cheaper rate? The answer is capital No!

“It then means that we the masses, the true Nigerian people are the ones targeted for extinction by the political class who are in power.

“We therefore call on the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Nigerian Youths, All Traders and Businessmen/women, All Trade Unions and all Nigerians students in the entire nation to come out enmasse for a protest march against this evil and wickedness brought upon Nigerians by President Bola Tinubu.

“Nigerians can no longer breath in their own country. It is very unfortunate that a few people in Aso Rock are eating and enjoying while the majority of the Nigerian citizens suffer and die in abject poverty in the midst of plenty and abundant natural mineral resources.

“The time to liberate Nigeria from her oppressors is now. We must march on the streets of the 36 states of Nigeria including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja until the fuel price is reversed to its old price of N198 per litre.

“We don’t need any palliatives, we only want a reversal of the fuel price to N198 per litre.” (Vanguard)

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