The Coalition of Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders in Nigeria has expressed anger over the worsening fuel scarcity in the country.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja by the group’s publicity secretary, Mazi Okwu Nnabuike, the group urged President Bola Tinubu to save the Nigerian masses from further suffering.
“It could be recalled that the youths, under the aegis of Nigeria Ethnic Nationality Youth Leaders Council Worldwide, had slammed a one-week resignation request on the general managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited, NNPCL, Mele Kyari.
“However, with the ultimatum ended yesterday, Kyari remains in office as the NNPCL helmsman. This is also as fuel scarcity has spread across the country, with long queues being witnessed at the few filling stations dispensing the product,” the group said.
Angered by the worsening situation, the youth leaders told President Bola Tinubu that they were running out of patience. They said it was unacceptable that Nigerians would continue to spend man-hours at petrol stations even with all the assurance that came with subsidy removal.
The youths said, “It is inconceivable that fuel scarcity has returned to Nigeria, even on a large scale, to such an extent that workers find it difficult to go to work.
“Those who manage to join the long queues spend hours daily and end up not getting the product. This is no longer acceptable; the youths and all Nigerians are running out of patience.”
It once again urged President Bola Tinubu to overhaul the leadership of the NNPCL, adding that “as of today, the NNPCL remains the sole importer of petrol and has also remained a cog in the wheel of local refining of the product.
It said the time had come for the government to rise to the occasion and adopt an attitude that was not suggestive of the belief in some quarters that it was not concerned about the sufferings of the Nigerian masses.
It said the entire team should be disbanded urgently and that a new team capable of bringing in the needed reforms should be brought on board.