Fuel Price Hike: Protests Erupt In Benin, Edo State
…May spread to other states
Thousands of citizens in Benin City, Edo State on Monday, July 24, 2023 vented their anger against what they considered the uncontrolled astronomical surge in the pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol by massively demonstrating against it.
The anti-hike in petrol protest in Benin, saw thousands of citizens took to the streets and also voiced out their frustrations over what they described as suffocating living conditions imposed on the people by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) that has made life so unbearable for the downtrodden in the country.
The protest which was organized by ‘Concerned Citizens and other activists, was aimed at drawing the attention of the Tinubu-led government to the excruciating hardship being faced particularly by the poor and vulnerable in the society as a result of the continuous hike in fuel pump prices.
The atmosphere created by the protesters was visibly charged with emotion as they carried with them placards with different inscriptions such as; “FG, Allow The Poor Breath,” “Say No To Continuous Hike in Fuel Price,” “We Must Not Die Before Govt Acts”, “Every Nation Subsidies Its Citizens”, “Nigeria Must Stop Importation”, “FG, Fix Our Refineries”, and “Fuel Price is Choking Us”, among so many others.
As soon as the images of the rally were posted on Twitter by Ijeoma Osamor of the African Independent Television (AIT), it went viral thereby attracted solidarity from people across the country.
Already, the anti-petrol price hike protest is reverberating in other parts of the country as kit is generating attention and discussions on the dire need to force the Federal Government accede to the cries and demand of the people for urgent intervention than allow a free flow of petrol prices without a commensurate income to withstand the shocks of the subsidy removal.
The people are equally questioning the rationale behind the government’s refusal to address the alleged corruption in the oil sector but, preferred to impose untold hardship on the people through the removal of fuel subsidy.
If the government fails to act fast by addressing the situation, the protests might widened and envelop other parts of the country owing to the inability of the people to further bear the pains of hardship while public officials have not in any way shown the need for prudence in lifestyle.
