Nigerian Govt. Criticized Over Decision to End Fuel Subsidies

Nigeria’s Institute of Public Relations criticized the government’s decision to end fuel subsidies for the populace, noting that many Nigerians live below poverty level and that the removal of the fuel subsidy would aggravate hardships and possibly lead to the country experiencing an "Arab Spring, which caught many Arab countries and their leaders unawares and has continued to spread uncontrollably."
 
In a press statement the Institute of Public Relations observed, "Many Nigerians are now disenchanted with the actions of government at all levels, as they have disconnected them from the ‘I had no shoes’ message of President Jonathan, which was what made them to vote massively for him during the election. The perception many Nigerians have of their president, the governors and local government chairmen is that of leaders who do not have any road-map to tackle the problem of Boko Haram and other security threats like kidnapping and armed robbery which are literarily holding the nation to ransom," The Daily Champion newspaper reported.

The Institute of Public Relations urged Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan along with state governors and local government chairmen to reevaluate the decision in light of the country’s pressing economic and social needs.

By. Joao Peixe, Deputy Editor OilPrice.com