Coalition of Northern Groups condemn proposed fuel price hike, threatens protest
Story from Najibullahi ADAMU
The plan by the Federal Government to increase the pump price of fuel to N340 per litre has continued to elicit barrage of reactions from Nigerians and civil society organisations.
A pressure group known as the ‘Coalition of Northern Groups’ (CNG) on Wednesday condemned the plan by the federal government threatening to mobilize the entire people of the region to resist it.
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Addressing a news conference in Gombe at the end of their northeast stakeholders meeting organised by the group, the northeast coordinator of the coalition represented by the Taraba state coordinator Abubakar Umar Bitako lamented that the planned increase in fuel price would add to the suffering of the people particularly in the north that is faced with security challenges.
He opined that the promise to replace the oil subsidy with a payment of N5, 000 stipend each to 40 million citizens is impracticable and ill-intended adding that even if it would be paid, it would benefit few Nigerians.
“The problems and sufferings in the north today without being compounded by a further hike in prices of essential commodities and mobility are traceable only to inept and insensitive leadership at the national and states level as well as the cowardice of other community and religious leaders who lack the courage to stand up to them in the interest of the people of the region and Nigeria.
“We resolved to join the move to sensitize all levels of northern society on their duty to support a prolonged and sustained resistance to force the government to immediately rescind the implementation of this unpopular, corrupt and inhuman policy within the next four weeks or risk an unprecedented mass action and civil disobedience”. The coalition threatened.
The coalition also said that they would submit the copy of their resolution to the emir of Gombe Alhaji Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III to peruse it having held the meeting in his state.
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