The Obidient Movement has warned the Federal Government against introducing a proposed 5% surcharge on fuel, saying it would further impoverish millions of Nigerians already struggling with economic hardship.
The group’s National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, described the plan as “a policy built on noble intentions but destined for misery,” arguing that fuel is not a luxury in Nigeria and the surcharge would punish the poor and vulnerable.
Tanko emphasized that successive governments have repeatedly promised that new levies would transform infrastructure, but little has been delivered. “For decades, Nigerians have been fed the same promises: new levies will ‘fix our roads,’ ‘power our hospitals,’ and ‘transform our economy.’ Instead, trillions vanish into the pockets of corrupt elites while our highways crumble, transport costs skyrocket, and ordinary Nigerians are pushed deeper into poverty,” the statement read.
The Obidient Movement insists that no new fuel taxes should be imposed until there are credible, transparent mechanisms to ensure accountability, anti-corruption safeguards, and real relief for suffering citizens. They reject the 5% surcharge as another instrument of oppression against the people, urging the government to instead expand the tax base, impose progressive taxes on luxury consumption, and cut wasteful spending.
