5th November, 2011
Speaker of the Lagos state House of Assembly, Adeyemi Ikuforiji, has kicked against the proposed removal of subsidy from premium motor spirit (petrol) by the federal government.
Ikuforiji, advised President Goodluck Jonathan to build better refineries as this would ease the pains of Nigerians in regard to petroleum products.
The Speaker gave this advice in a sallah message made available to correspondents.
He argued that the removal of fuel subsidy would automatically increase the price of the product and thus throw the citizens of the country into more challenges.
He said if refineries are built, Nigeria would be removed from the list of petroleum importing countries.
He said: “as we therefore celebrate this season, it has become imperative for the political leadership to be more patriotic and take the necessary steps to make Nigeria self-sustaining in food production and also ensure that we refine our God given petroleum locally.
“This will definitely bring to an end, the present large-scale unemployment and poverty that has continued to make life unbearable for all working class Nigerians and the youths, who are indeed the leaders of tomorrow.
“Enormous efforts must also be made by the political leadership at comforting all our citizens that are finding life rather unbearable.
“As a nation that is so endowed by God with both human and natural resources, (like petroleum and exceedingly fertile land all over the country), there is no tenable reason why Nigeria should continue to remain a crawling giant that solely depends on imported petroleum products and food, fifty-one years after our independence.”
While advising the government to put the interest of the people first before self, because it was their votes that brought them to power, he urged political leadership at the federal level to always strive to devolve more powers and resources to the states and local government councils since they are closer to the people.
“Notwithstanding the general hopelessness that is being experienced by the majority of Muslims and non-Muslims, both in Nigeria and other parts of the world as a result of the economic meltdown, that has been making life unbearable for many for long now, we nevertheless must continue to thank the Almighty Allah for sparing our lives to see yet another festive season today.
“I therefore urge all Muslims to continue to thank the almighty Allah, while equally praying fervently to Him to continue to spare our lives, bless us all, and bless our country Nigeria,†Ikuforiji said.
By Eromosele Ebhomele