Nigerians protesting in London

By  Agha Ibiam    
        
Nigerians resident in the United Kingdom yesterday protested against the decision of the federal government to remove fuel subsidy on January 1, 2012.

In spite of the winter cold, protesters from different works of life gathered at the Nigerian High Commission in London chanting different songs to drive home their point, saying they are totally against the decision and expect that government should listen to the voice of reason and reverse their stand.

The protest which was organised by Students Association of Nigerians in Diaspora, Nigerian Youth League and the Nigerian Students Association, University of Greenish was well attended.

Nigerians in Diaspora lamented that the issue surrounding the whole thing was not removing subsidy from fuel, but lack of accountability and trust. "We will not support the removal of the fuel subsidy because the benefits from it will be hijacked by politicians, mostly the National Assembly for their selfish interest," Mr. Tunde Owosheni, one of the protesters told THISDAY.

According to him, in a country where corruption is as high as the heaven, removing oil subsidy will not solve the problem. He however advised that first of all, the federal government should tackle corruption, put infrastructures in place such as water, power supply, good roads, education, hospitals, security amongst others before thinking of removing the subsidy which is the only benefit Nigerians derive as an oil producing nation.

Owosheni said every household in Nigeria was a local government of its own that provides its own water by bore-hole, electricity by generator, roads by communal effort, school and other social amenities.