JUST IN: Protest in Abuja Over Fuel Scarcity

Scores of demonstrators took to the streets of Abuja on Monday, demanding the immediate dismissal of Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), amid ongoing fuel shortages plaguing the country.

The protest follows a recent admission by NNPCL that its substantial debt to suppliers is jeopardizing fuel supply sustainability. The corporation revealed that financial pressures are significantly impacting its operations and threatening fuel supply stability.

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana also voiced concerns about the rising cost of living, arbitrary increases in petrol prices, and the resultant scarcity, which has led to fewer vehicles on Nigerian roads. Falana, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, called for an end to the ‘monumental fraud’ in fuel importation and emphasized the need for accountability.

Demonstrators, chanting solidarity songs and holding banners with messages such as ‘We are tired of fuel scarcity and stories on why refineries are not working,’ ‘No direction under Kyari,’ and ‘We want accountability in the affairs of NNPCL,’ criticized Kyari’s tenure, which they believe has been marked by failure and inefficiency.

At Unity Fountain, Aminu Abbas, Convener of the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organizations, condemned the persistent fuel scarcity, questioning why a nation rich in oil continues to suffer from such issues. Abbas urged President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and other leaders to take immediate action, calling for Kyari’s removal and a reform of the NNPCL to better serve the interests of Nigerians.

“The fuel scarcity we endure is not just an inconvenience; it is a deliberate perpetuation of suffering,” Abbas declared. “Under Kyari’s leadership, the situation has worsened, with no resolution in sight. His tenure is marked by gross incompetence and mismanagement, which benefits only a select few while the masses continue to suffer.