Students from OAU warn FG to address the fuel situation or face widespread protests

The Students’ Union of Obafemi Awolowo University said on Sunday that the difficulties faced by students as a result of the abrupt increase in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit and the product’s unavailability have reached previously unheard-of proportions.

In a statement provided to Opinion Nigeria and made public on the union’s campus in Ile-Ife, Osun State, President Abbas Ojo urged the federal government to take quick action to resolve the problems.

If the scenario continued, the union threatened to take to the streets in protest.

Our correspondent saw that several filling stations in the states of Ogun and Lagos have lines since the weekend, and some stations have remained closed.

“This is after I had already spent over 50 minutes in the queue,” he added.

According to the students’ union president, the situation is not different in Osun, particularly around the campus environs where he noted bus drivers had increased fares.

“We, as students, can no longer endure the burden imposed by the government’s economic policies,” Ojo said.

“Last year, when the decision to remove fuel subsidy became public knowledge, many, including students, harboured doubts about its impact on the nation’s economy. Even those who supported the removal of subsidies were skeptical, given the absence of concrete plans to alleviate the ensuing challenges,” he added.

President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023, during his swearing-in, announced the removal of fuel subsidy. Since then, Nigerians have been grappling with harsh economic realities coupled with the depreciation of the naira against the dollar.

“From soaring electricity tariffs to the skyrocketing cost of living, the adverse effects of the government’s capitalist policies have spared no one.

“Despite these challenges, students persist in their pursuit of education and academic endeavours. However, recent events such as fuel shortages and fluctuating prices have left students stranded both on campus and outside campus,” Ojo stressed, noting the students had been pushed to limits.

The union demanded immediate action from the FG to address the fuel scarcity, curb suspected hoarding of fuel, and regulate prices.

“We also demand that the government should revive the country’s refineries. The government must not test our will by not addressing these demands within the next 48 hours. Failure to do so, we shall hit the streets till the government addresses the fuel crisis which constitutes a threat to our academic pursuit,” the statement concluded.