We’ll Shut Down Nigeria If Fuel Prices Increase — Niger Delta Activist
Israel Joe, a Niger Delta rights campaigner, has urged the Federal Government not to implement its proposed hike in petroleum product prices.
He cautioned that if the Federal Government followed ahead with the proposal, civil society organizations will not hesitate to shut down Nigeria.
Joe said in a statement issued in Warri that Nigerians would no longer endure the hardships imposed on them by the current central government.
He said, “Nigerians will no longer tolerate the hardship brought upon us by this government. We listened gleefully to the speech of the President and it wasn’t clear if the subsidy would be removed or not.
“However, we have got from reliable source that the Federal Government of Nigeria planned to remove subsidy on petrol products towards the end of February.
“Let it be on record that the Federal Government of Nigeria has not put forth any superior logical argument about the advantages of removing subsidy, as it has never reflected on the lives of average Nigerians, but inflicting suffering, pains, insecurity and stress on them.
“It is pertinent to inform the general public that we will shut down Nigeria the moment the Federal Government announces any hike in petroleum products. The civil society organisations in Delta State will meet to take a decision on this, but I can say conveniently and confidently that we will shut down the economy and Delta State will never play a second fiddle in the struggle.”
