Youths are planning a national protest against rising fuel prices.

FastNews reports that some Nigerian youths, led by the Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide (YCYW), have threatened to stage a nationwide protest in response to the steady rise in the prices of petroleum products.

The group also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the general managing director (GMD) of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited, Mele Kyari, for gross incompetence.

This was made known on Friday in a statement by the Council President, Oladotun Hassan, in Abuja, noting that the NNPC GMD had destroyed the confidence and goodwill he had among Nigerians.

According to Hassan, Kyari’s incompetence has brought about untold hardship on the citizens.
The statement reads in part: “We have no choice but to rise in defense of the Nigerian masses, for it is unarguable that the NNPC management under Mele Kyari is incompetent, weak, and incapacitated, hence our clarion call for his immediate replacement with a better competent hand.”

“Yoruba Council of Youths Worldwide shall be marching in protest to press home our demands should the needful not be done in a week’s time from the date of this press release (on or before November 17, 2022).

“We are constrained to make this demand after a careful review of the situation across the country since the beginning of this year 2022, it all started with the importation of adulterated fuel that caused millions of Nigerians unbearable damage to their vehicles without any verifiable compensation or apology from the NNPC till date. After that, the bad situation turned worse with the constant internal meddling and scarcity with no genuine reasons.”

“The next thing Nigerians witnessed was the astronomical hike in the pump price of fuel and diesel to the tune of 250/ltr and 750–800 ltr, respectively.

“Aside the undeniable overbearing consequences of PMS and diesel in our day-to-day activities, poor coordination and reckless management of the NNPC: being the apex Nigeria’s oil management company inevitably remains the greatest negative factor responsible for the hash and dwindling economy downturn leading to the high poverty rates in the country.

“Businesses that rely solely on diesel are dying in droves on a daily basis, unbearable cost of transportation and the movements of goods and services skyrocketed, which consequently influenced the constant high inflation rates at double digits.”

“While relying on the cooperation of the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources headed by President Muhammadu Buhari to sack Mr Mele Kyari for gross incompetence, we believe that he had destroyed the President’s goodwill among Nigerian masses, as his incompetence has brought about untold hardship on the citizens.”