Continue Opposition To Fuel Subsidy Removal; Group To NLC

A pan Yoruba socio-cultural pressure organisation, Coalition of Oodua Self Determination Group (COSEG), has warned the organised labour not to back down in its resolve to resist the Federal Government’s plan to remove the fuel subsidy as well as re-erect the demolished tollgates.

In a statement jointly signed by its president and general secretary, Dayo Ogunlana and Razaq Oloko-Oba respectively, the group vowed to resist the “two anti-people moves with the last drop of our blood,” saying “President Jonathan should not make any further attempt to add to the suffering of the Nigerian masses.”

The group reminded the President that “he promised to reduce hunger, poverty, diseases and hardship in the land before we voted for him,” warning that “any attempt to increase the suffering of the masses would not be welcome and would be vehemently resisted.”

The group wondered why an oil producing country like Nigeria should have about two-third of its population as poor as the proverbial church rat, regretting that “a country that is supposed to be a pride of its citizens has ironically made the people to suffer in midst of plenty!”

While expressing preparedness to team up with the trade unions and other civil society groups to resist the two plans it descried as “satanic,” COSEG warned any labour leader that might attempt to sabotage the resistance to have a rethink.”

The group, which blamed corruption in high places for plans to remove subsidy and re-erection of tollgates, lamented that “it is a plan to get more money to share and siphon abroad for their families,” asking what have they have done with the proceeds from the previous fuel subsidy removal.

— Jamiu Yisa