Ola Ajayi
03 January 2012, Sweetcrude, IBADAN –YOUTHS in Oyo State under the aegis of the Students Union Government, University of Ibadanand Coalition of Youths Against Fuel Subsidy Removal yesterday trooped to the office of the State Governor, Senator Abiola Ajimobi to protest the fuel subsidy removal.
They alleged that the governor as their representative should not have joined the league of his colleagues drumming support for the removal of the subsidy.
“We are aware of the position of the Governors’ Forum, which you are part of, and we see this as cruel betrayal of the mandate the masses sweated, toiled and laboured to give to the Governors at the April 2011 Elections,” they said.
This came as commercial drivers in Ibadan mobilized their colleagues to withdraw their services because they could not afford the outrageous fuel hike.
The youths who marched round major areas of the city gave a 7-day ultimatum to President Goodluck Jonathan to rescind his decision on the unpopular removal of the fuel subsidy.
During the peaceful demonstration, the aggrieved youths, went from Mokola, to the office of the governor chanting anti-government songs.
According to the SUG President, UI, Mr. Tokunbo Salako, until the fuel pump price is reversed to N65 per litre, there would be no peace for the Federal Government.
He said, “we have two positions here. First, we want the governor to tell Mr. President to return the pump price to the former N65 per litre. We don’t believe in subsidy and we are going to declare war on Jonathan’s government if he fails to reverse the pump price”.
“If the decision is not reversed by Tuesday January 10, we shall take over the National Assembly and constitute a committee to be headed by our own Speaker of the House and Senate President to impeach President Jonathan.”
“We the youths in Ibadan hereby reject the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government. We see this as an attempt to aggravate the rate of poverty, cripple small and medium scale businesses and throw the masses into perpetual economic chaos”, he said.
While responding to the comments of the youth, Governor Ajimobi promised to convey their message to the appropriate quarters adding that they should be orderly and be mature while making their demands known.
