Following the sudden removal of the oil subsidy by President Goodluck Jonathan, which has subsequently necessitated the astronomical increase in the pump price of petroleum products, a member of the House of Representatives from Ekiti State, Hon Bimbo Daramola, has described the action as a betrayal of trust of millions of Nigerians whom he said today endure the unendurable and bear the unbearable.

Also, in their separate reactions to the development in a telephone interview in Ado-Ekiti, the leaderships of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), said the action of President Jonathan was a condemnable and dictatorial policy.

According to Daramola, an Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) member representing Ekiti North federal constituency 1, comprises Oye and Ikole-Ekiti local Governments at the lower chamber of the National Assembly, the president has also shown utter disregard for the constitution which has delineated responsibilities and created the legislative arm as a partner in the smooth running of the country alongside the executive.

While noting that the removal of subsidy by the president has set off another burst of burden on an already overburdened, hapless populace, Daramola noted further that at present, the National Assembly is on recess, pointing out that their position on whether the subsidy should be removed or not is already presented to the president.

[size=15pt]“Normally what should follow is a continuation of dialogue in respect of that but that is not to be, thanks to a jackboot mentality of the Nigerian leadership headed today by President Goodluck Jonathan.”
[/size]
While further accusing president Jonathan of lack of respect for the totality of Nigerian masses over the controversial removal of the oil subsidy, the labour unions advocated the immediate reversal of the policy they said would further impoverish Nigerians.

Both the NLC chairman in the State, Com. Ayodeji Aluko and his counterpart in the TUC, Com Kolawole Olaiya, also in a telephone conversation, said they sympathized with Nigerians over the sudden jack up of the pump price from N65 to about N150, urging Nigerians to resist the attempt to unleash sufferings on them in the name of governance.

According to Aluko, it is important that President Jonathan realized that he was not voted as President to unleash terror on Nigerians but to palliate the sufferings of the people, saying the masses would resist this unwholesome policy in the interest of the coming generations.

[b]He therefore, hinted that the body will be meeting with the national body of the union tomorrow (Wednesday) to fashion out the way forward for its members, which he said may be nationwide industrial strike by all the TUC’s [/b]allied unions to force the President to listen to the plights of the masses.

Describing the policy as a wicked and unbearable one, the TUC Chairman in the State, Com Kolawole Olaiya said, President Jonathan is gradually becoming a dictator and that Nigerians should not tolerate him to assume such a dangerous posture.

“We are expecting directives from our leaders from Abuja. But I want to say that this wicked act will be resisted because the policy is not in tandem with Nigerian wishes.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) Mega Station in Ado Ekiti and other NNPC subsidiary petrol stations in the State capital have started selling petrol to the people at new price .

Despite the PPPRA announcement of N140 as the official pump price, various petrol stations in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital were seen yesterday selling the products for between N150 and N160, except the NNPC mega station that was selling a litre for N135.

However, in some areas where they were afraid of any possible reactions from members of the public, the attendants have refused to sell, rather they chose to lock up their filling stations against any prospective buyers.

This development had further increased the hardships of the people, mostly the commuters who have resorted to trekking long distances, following their inability to pay the sudden increase in the price of transportation which had increased by 100 per cent.

From: Thisdayonline.com