The Buhari-led administration
has beengiven a seven-day deadline to address the country’s fuel shortage by the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in the South West.
The student government said that fuel is always being stockpiled in the nation and referred to this as “artificial fuel scarcity.”
According to NANS, the incident has rendered millions of Nigerians unable to move around or engage in productive activities.
The leaders of the students deemed it alarming that Nigerians lined up in the heat to pay as much as N350 for one litre of fuel.
“No doubt, this scarcity of fuel is a politicised matter by some persons in government and oil marketers for ulterior motives, which is unclear,” NANS stated.
The students supported Bola Tinubu’s claims that the fuel crisis is a plan to harm the chances of the Southwest in the upcoming presidential elections in a statement signed by NANS Coordinator in Zone D, Emmanuel Olatunji, and others.
NANS characterized the scarcity as blackmail intended to disseminate the message that Tinubu’s party does not deserve the support of the people if it is unable to handle the situation while in power.
The group asserted that Southerners are aware of this plot but urged the Federal Government to address the ongoing gasoline shortage because “it is becoming a threat to the interest of the South West.”
In June 12, 1993, the “popular candidate of the people was shortchanged just because he is a Yoruba man,” according to the South West students, who declared that they would not allow a repeat of that incident.
“Hence the failure of the government to resolve this fuel scarcity within 7 working days from today shall have the entire students populace in the South West under NANS Zone D mobilize all her resources to protest and stampede the activities of the government at all ports,” NANS threatened.