The All Progressives Congress (APC) leader and mayor of Urhoboland, Eshanekpe Israel, also known as Akpodoro, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to reverse the removal of fuel subsidies as a matter of national emergency.
He bemoaned the economic hardships that Nigerians are facing and pointed out that only the living can benefit from good governance.
He said this over the weekend at a well-attended stakeholders forum in Abuja, taking a jab at the current administration’s economic management team and adding that the President’s handlers are not giving him good advice on what to do right away to mitigate the effects of the austerity measures his administration has implemented since its inception.
If action is not taken, Nigerians will start committing mass suicide all over the place, the mayor claimed.
“Only the living can have their hope renewed, but not the dead.” He observed that the cost of goods and services is constantly rising, and Nigeria has never been the same since he made his anti-subsidy statement while he was being sworn in.
The President should now weigh the necessity of reversing his decision regarding the fuel subsidy policy, the Mayor said, expressing regret that he did not sufficiently prepare for the removal of the petroleum product subsidy.
The already oppressed are left in a desperate situation where they can no longer feed, much less feed well, he said, citing the rapidly rising prices of commodities.
The president was challenged by him to go to Nigerian hospitals and observe the harm his anti-masses policies and initiatives had caused.
Noting the delayed start-up of the nation’s fixed refineries, he bemoaned the need for an early reversal of the administration’s fiscal policies to mitigate the effects of the austerity measures.
The ex-agitator, Gberegolor, was born in Ughelli South Local Government Area. He warned the government to take into account the plight of poor Nigerians before formulating harsh policies that could destabilise the country, saying that “the entire country would have gone up in flames by now if it were not for the fact that Nigerians are resilient and understanding people.
“Nigerians expect much better from their president than he is providing in terms of leadership and governance, he said, urging him to refrain from letting them evaluate the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari more highly than his own.
When it comes to the government’s programmes, Akpodoro argued that the media outlets are not doing enough to educate and sensitise the public. He noted that in order for the Nigerian people to support his policies, all of his administration’s policies must be periodically brought to their attention and understanding.
In his view, the Ministry of Information as a whole, along with the National Orientation Agency (NOA), are indifferent to the suffering of Nigerians and are willing to comply. They have an obligation to keep the country informed at all times.He declared that “food security is Germaine to the growth and development of a nation,” adding that “when you buy an item today, the price of the same commodity will rise by double by the time you return to the market the next time, and these are the reasons for resentment in the land.”
He went on to say that “food security is Germaine to the growth and development of a nation,” and that “hunger and insecurity if combined become a twin monster that should be declared emergency upon.”
Nigerians require a government that will guard against starvation and hunger.The entire landscape is engulfed in darkness, even more so than it was previously. The President ought to seize the opportunity to improve people’s lives.
“This call to the President cannot be made in isolation from other branches of government. Administrators in state and local government should keep in mind that agriculture is not the government’s only priority.
Thus, nothing prevents a state or local government from stockpiling food for its citizens. FG is not the only one at fault. The people’s resentment of other levels of government ought to be extended to them as well.
Is it not possible for a state government to possess a food reserve storage facility? he asked, pressing the President to take notice of the fact that people who supported him were dying from preventable illnesses and starvation.
Referring to the devastating #Endsars protest, the Mayor said that the President should not take Nigerians for granted and that if the country’s hunger continues, it could spark civil disobedience that will dwarf the #Endsars protest of 2020.
This could be compared to the Arab Spring, which ultimately led to the overthrow of civil authority and a change of government.
“The actions of this government are necessary to prevent a development that could be detrimental to our beloved democracy.”