In the wake of the ongoing fuel scarcity crisis gripping Nigeria, a coalition of civil society organizations has called upon the Federal and State Governments to take decisive action to alleviate the suffering of citizens.
The Osun Mastermind (TOM), a civil society group in Osun State, made this plea during a press briefing held in Osogbo.
Professor Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli, the Executive Director of TOM, highlighted the dire consequences of the fuel scarcity, which has exacerbated the hardship faced by Nigerians across various sectors. He emphasized the impact on school children who have been unable to commute to their educational institutions due to a shortage of public transportation.
“In just a few days of this meaningless fuel scarcity, Nigerians have faced one of the toughest experiences of their lives. Students have had to return home, unable to get to their respective schools due to shortage of public transportation. The economy is getting crippled by the day as workers and informal sector operators are also unable to get to their places of work,” Professor Oyedokun-Alli stated.
To mitigate the suffering of students and their families, TOM proposed the temporary closure of schools until the fuel scarcity crisis is resolved. This recommendation aims to alleviate the burden on students and parents grappling with transportation challenges.
TOM condemned the lack of action from the government regarding the worsening power situation, which has further compounded the hardships faced by citizens and businesses. The group called for immediate measures to address the issues plaguing the power and petroleum sectors, including the possible dismissal of officials responsible for sabotaging efforts to deliver good governance.
“We demand as a group that the Federal government acts immediately to solve all the problems pertaining to epileptic power supply and fuel scarcity, to stop the untold hardship that Nigerians are currently going through,” Professor Oyedokun-Alli asserted.
The group emphasized the need for transparency regarding the state of the Port-Harcourt Refinery and urged the government to fulfill its promises of revitalizing the nation’s refineries to alleviate the burden of high petroleum prices on citizens.
TOM warned that failure to address the ongoing crisis could lead to mass protests and called on the government to act responsibly to fulfill its obligations to the Nigerian people.
