CDHR demands return of fuel subsidy

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has called for the reversal of fuel subsidy removal.

The CDHR in a Sunday statement issued by its President and Publicity Secretary, Debo Adeniran and Idris Olayinka, respectively, said this on the heels of the #EndBadGovernance protest ongoing in the country.

Following the protest that had rocked the country for four days, President Bola Tinubu made a national broadcast on Sunday morning saying he had heard the youths “loud and clear,” asking them to suspend the protest and embrace dialogue.

Reviewing the key takeaways from the president’s broadcast, the CDHR noted that there were no timelines to each of the promises the president proposed but only hammering on the government’s achievements so far which had “not been really felt by Nigerian people.”

“The CDHR charges the Federal Government to give timelines for the fulfillment of the proposed promises to ease the living conditions of Nigerian people.

“The CDHR demands immediate reversal of petroleum fuel subsidy, which has thrown the country into hyperinflationary conditions, and charges the FG to curb all corruptive elements that are associated with it. Also, the hike in electricity tariff should be reversed to return many businesses to production,” they said.

CDHR described the student loan scheme by the government as inadequate in solving education underfunding.

“The government should instead identify eligible indigent students and give them grants and scholarships to support their education and sustenance while in school as it is applicable in most civilised countries. The loans given to SME businesses should be made flexible, interest-free, and easy repayment mechanisms,” the organisation said.

They also demanded that the FG should investigate all human rights violations across the country as the “end bad governance” protest continues, bringing the perpetrators to justice and adequately compensating the victims.

It, however, cautioned the leaders and the mobilisers of the protest on violence and destruction of public and private properties.

Journalists and protesters were arrested in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, on Saturday, the third day of the protest.

Security operatives fired shots and teargas at the journalists who ran for their safety with bullets riddling the vehicle of a Premium Times reporter in Abuja.

In Lagos, the protest was considered peaceful by the state government, but videos had shown protesters being chased by hoodlums at Ojota on Sunday morning after President Tinubu’s address.

A video also trended over the weekend showing the moment a protester addressing a journalist was hit in the head by a hoodlum during a live interview on the protest ground.

The protest has also been marred with reported lootings by hoodlums in Kano, Kaduna, and other northern regions with the police going after the culprits to recover some items.

The police said on Saturday that a total of 681 criminal elements were arrested for committing various offences between Thursday and Friday. The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, noted that only seven persons had been killed during the protests, countering Amnesty International which gave a higher figure as casualties.