The National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has said that effective from September 15, 2024, it will engage in a peaceful protest, in all major cities in across the country.
The student body said the planned protest is in response to the recent hike in petrol price and the perceived ‘incompetence’ of the NNPC Director General, Mele Kyari, demanding an immediate reversal of the current fuel price and the removal of Kyari as the NNPC DG.
The notice was signed by Okunomo Henry Adewumi, President of the Senate (NANS), calling on all students across the country to join in.
“We write to notify you of an impending massive shutdown of all major cities in Nigeria, effective 15th September 2024, in protest of the recent hike in fuel prices and the gross incompetence of the NPC Director General, Mele Kyari.
“The incessant increase in fuel prices has brought untold hardship to the masses, and we can no longer stand idly by while our future is mortgaged by the actions of a few. We demand an immediate reversal of the fuel price hike and the removal of Mr. Kyari as the NNPC DG.
“We call on all Nigerian students across the country to wake up to this clarion call, as we will be occupying all major cities on the 15th of September, 2024. We shall not be silenced, and we shall not be intimidated. We shall rise in unison to demand a better deal for Nigerian students and the masses.
“We urge you to take necessary measures to maintain law and order during the shutdown, as we assure you that our protest will be peaceful and lawful,” the notice read.
Federal Government had denied issuing a directive to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) to increase petroleum prices to N1,000.
Senator Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, made the clarification in a statement issued by his media aide, Nnemaka Okafor, on Tuesday, September 3, described the circulating claims as "outright falsehood" and "malicious," aimed at inciting the public against the government.
The statement emphasized that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources does not intervene in NNPC Ltd.'s internal decisions, including pricing matters. He urged the public to disregard false rumors and instead rely on information from credible and official sources.
However, the current price of petrol has caused an uproar amongst Nigeria who mostly resort to social media to vent their frustration.
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