The Osun Masterminds, TOM, has called on President Bola Tinubu to listen to Nigerians and end the hardship that citizens face daily.
This call is coming amid the spiralling prices of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, across Nigerian states.
Making this call during the August State of the State address in Osogbo on Saturday, TOM Executive Director, Prof Wasiu Oyedokun-Alli stated that the increase in PMS has also transferred pressure to several sectors of the consumer market.
While expressing eager expectations from President Tinubu, Prof Oyedokun-Alli said, the Federal Government having removed fuel subsidy, unfortunately failed to implement palliative measures speedily.
According to him, “We have keenly followed the emerging trends in the petroleum industry, especially as concerns product pricing. Consequent upon the seeming deregulation of the downstream sector through the removal of fuel subsidy, the petroleum market seems to have gone haywire, with marketers forcing arbitrary prices on helpless citizens, through artificial, man-made product scarcity.
“Suffice it to say that the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu, having removed fuel subsidy, has unfortunately failed to implement palliative measures speedily.”
He said the immense pressure felt by Nigerians is a result of the slow implementation of palliative policies and the cruel pricing template of petroleum marketers.
“The slow implementation of palliative policies on one hand and the cruel pricing template of petroleum marketers on the other hand, ordinary citizens are under such immense pressure as they have never seen all their lives.
“We call on President Bola Tinubu to immediately launch efforts to rein in the petroleum industry cabal that has held Nigerians at the jugular for far too long.”
TOM also asked the president to give marching orders to several key Ministers, to ensure that they do not remain deadwood in the discharge of their responsibilities.
While calling for the immediate end to the ongoing arbitrary price fixing across several sectors of the economy, TOM also advocated the removal of middlemen whom it alleged of pursuing filthy gains.
The organisation also charged citizens to show responsibility and desist from the deliberate inflation of prices thereby making life available hard for the people.
“Most of the time, the inflation experienced and high cost of goods are man-made with the intent for maximum profit possible but this does not make good citizens. At a time like this, empathy should be our watchword and the true essence of being our brother and sister’s keeper.
“True love for the country entails loyalty and commitment to the common good and that should be paramount in all we do if truly we all want to make Nigeria our place of pride and the envy of all nations.”
Listen to Nigerians, end severe hardship – Group to President Tinubu