Emma Amaize
& Akpokona Omafuaire
23 October 2011, Sweetcrude, WARRI- NIGER-DELTA activist, Comrade Paul Bebenimibo, weekend, said support for President Goodluck Jonathan by the masses was dwindling across the country because of his planned removal of petroleum subsidy and non-fulfillment of his electoral promises.
Bebenimibo, who described the removal of fuel subsidy as a betrayal of the confidence of the masses in him and an indication of gross failure by the government urged President Jonathan not to succumb to the anti-masses agenda.
His words, “The masses’ support for Jonathan is dwindling because the electoral promises are not forth coming but they are peering to a harsh economic hardship. Jonathan should listen only to the masses to avoid chaos and total collapse of support for his government. He should not listen to crooks and the business people who are only after profit to the detriment of the masses.”
“The issue of fuel subsidy was at its peak before President Yar’Adua died, Jonathan came and stabilize the price of petroleum products, that was why the masses love him and voted for him. To remove the subsidy now will be a total disservice to the masses and making money available for the governors and the private businessmen who do not have the interest of the masses at heart. It is taking Nigeria back and it will make nonsense of the minimum wage which they just implemented as cost of living will skyrocket,” he added.
Bebenimibo said the problem of Nigeria was not really lack of fund but improper utilization of available funds, pointing out that huge sum of money had been appropriated for various projects with nothing tangible to show. The activist cited the Benin-Ore and the East-West roads, which have gulped several billions of naira with the roads still impassable.
He, therefore, called on the National Assembly not to yield to the temptation of removing the fuel subsidy if the members were really representing the peoples’ interest.
