Revolutionary Socialist Movement-RSM
PRES STATEMENT
13-10-2024
RSM demand immediate reversal of the fuel price
Tinubu Government onslaught on the people must stop
For 48 hours General strike and mass protest
The Revolutionary Socialist Movement (RSM) condemned the recent hike in fuel price, this is the third time within less down a year that the fuel pump price will be increased amidst the economy hardship that the Tinubu led government have imposed on the ordinary people of Nigeria.
According to news report the National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has commenced full deregulation of the downstream sector by increasing petrol price to between N998 per litre in Lagos and N1,100 per litre in Abuja and other parts of the country. The recent increment again underscores our position that the Tinubu/APC regime cannot solve the numerous problem confronting Nigerians. Since the Tinubu government came to power in 29th of May, 2023 the situation of things in Nigeria have moved from worst to bad. In fact the policies the regime has implemented have sent millions of Nigerians to abject poverty. Not minding that Nigeria was poverty capital of the world since the year 2018. No doubt the Tinubu government is an extension of Buhari government.
We in the RSM condemned the continue attack on ordinary people and demand immediate reversal of the fuel pump increase. The whole attempt continue to make it looks like fuel can’t be cheap, despite that Nigeria has it in abundance cannot be justifiable. What we presently have is the greed of the few rich capitalists politicians. Nigeria have enough crude oil to meet is needs, presently the four refineries that Nigeria have are moribund and attempt to repair them as resulted in massive looting. Both past and present governments in Nigeria must be hold responsible for billions of dollars that been allocated to repair refineries and were looted, not only that the fact that despite that a newly built refinery by Aliko Dangote didn’t stop increment in fuel pump price exposed the gang up against Nigerian and profit motive of such refinery. All of this price increase at the time, the Tinubu government sold illusion that once Dangote refinery began to produce petroleum products, the petrol price would crash. Now opposite is the case as we witnessed today. This clearly show that privatization cannot solve the economy problem we are facing in Nigerian. The past increment has made Nigerians to be suffering from hyperinflation and increasing cost of living and transportation.
We consider this move by the government as act of wickedness and total lack of respect for the citizens, the Nigeria government cannot continue to rule us like a conquered people, we must rise and fight back.
We need to build a fight back, the people of Nigeria should note that this increase is coming at a time when the Dangote refinery has become fully operational, this increment also exposed the lie that the government told last year to justify the policy of fuel subsidy removal.
We are using this opportunity to call on all Nigerians to reject this increment because the implications is to further put the working class and suffering masses into more hardship, and this has led to lose of job and it will continue to lead to more job loses as the transportation cost is getting out of the reach of the working class people of Nigeria.
The Tinubu regime must be stopped with mass actions. The people are ready to fight back but the regime responds with massive repression. As we write about one thousand End bad governance protesters are still in different detention across the country. The 1st of October mass protests was suppressed in major cities this shows how the regime is afraid of mass protests against his anti-poor policies. But there must be more coordinated mass strikes and protests to stop the regime in this new pump price increment.
We call on the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to mobilize workers to reject this anti people’s policies. They must not pay lip service to the struggle on ground. The piecemeal new minimum wage practically has been eroded by inflation. The two labour centres must announce days for mass strikes and protests. It is time to build a working people defense committee across all sector to stop the intimidation by the government.
Comrade Salako Kayode
RSM
Publicity Secretary
