Nigeria fuel price protests turn violent
At least one person has been killed in Nigeria as violence erupted during angry protests against the doubling of fuel prices.
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in the commercial capital, Lagos, on Tuesday to vent their anger over a government measure to remove a popular fuel subsidy.
Protesters shut down petrol stations, formed human barriers along motorways and hijacked buses as police used riot control tactics to control them. Witnesses said security forces shot one man at a demonstration after a mob assaulted a Nigerian soldier.
Looking at this one would never guess that Nigeria is a major oil-producer. The people of the Niger delta is being exploited and poisoned by SHELL, it is one of the most scandalous and horrendous eco-disasters ever. No one , especially international media outlets ever talk about this!!
Yet the people has to go on the streets and demands decent fuel prices while western corporations and government officials are fastening up their pockets!!
I’m both anti and pro this fuel hike. In reality, removal of the fuel subsidy hurts the average Nigerian more than it hurts the idiots in power, leaving the average nigerian susceptible to dips and rises in the price of crude. Let’s ignore the fact that Nigeria is the 4th largest exported of crude oil in the world with no working refinery in the entire country and is reduced to importing refined petrol for a moment. Let’s also ignore the fact that the removal of subsidy was supposed to be implemented when the new budget comes into effect - the first of april. Why did the govt make it law on the first of january? the ‘longest’ and ‘hardest’ month of the year…
Why are the gas stations selling petrol at prices more than triple what they bought if for? i know we all want to make a quick profit but c’mon!
Now why i’m in support of the subsidy removal… Nigeria is rotten to the core, the budget is stretched to the max and the government needs to use every weapon in it’s arsenal to get more money. The removal of fuel subsidy should inject billions of Naira into the economy and revive it. The key word being should the truth is, with no arm of government devoid of corruption and totally accountable to the people, the money would just find it’s way to the same incompetent fuck faces that put the country in this current mess.
When the govt allocates 3m naira a day for food at the state house and 21 m for cutlery, pray tell how the fuck is the govt not going to lack money? I love my country but hate the fuckers in power and the horrible joke they’ve turned my country into.
(via praisethelorde)
