Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore has urged the people of Nigeria to stand up against the growing economic oppression they face.
Drawing from historical parallels, Sowore highlighted how past generations of Nigerian students took to the streets in protest against unfair policies that threatened their livelihoods, and he stressed the need for today’s Nigerians to take a stand against a government that seemingly prioritizes luxurious expenditures over the welfare of its citizens.
Taking to his social X page, Sowore share a powerful image from the front page of Punch Newspaper, depicting an earlier struggle against economic injustice. Accompanying the image, Sowore recalled the courage of Nigerian students in 1993, who fiercely fought against the military regime’s decision to raise the price of gasoline to N3.25, fueled by a fervent determination to reject the detrimental policies of international institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
“In 1993, as students, we went to war against the military because they increased petrol (gasoline) price to N3.25k; it was unacceptable then, and Nigerian students fought hard against the economically ruinous World Bank and IMF-inspired policies under the guise of Structural Adjustment Program (SAP).”, he wrote.
Continuing to make his point, Sowore emphasized that the economic oppression facing Nigerians today is even more severe than the struggles of the past. Despite skyrocketing petrol prices and a stagnant minimum wage, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s apparent priority lies with a lavish $100 million presidential jet.
“Today, the petrol price is almost N1000 with a minimum wage of N30,000, but the priority of the @officialABAT is the Presidential Jet valued at $100M.”
Furthermore, Sowore pointed out the role of the Nigeria Labour Congress and Adams Oshiomhole, “It is important to note that the Nigeria Labour Congress @NLCHeadquarters betrayed Nigerians in 1993; one of the key labour leaders then was Adams Oshiomhole, yes, the same Senator @aoshiomhole.”
With a clarion call for resistance, Sowore implored the youth and people of Nigeria to fight against the economic tyranny they currently face.
“Let the youths/people of Nigeria rise up and fight! It can be done again, bigger and better! #RevolutionNow”
Under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Nigerian economy has been worsened, with a multitude of difficulties, including inflation rates that have steadily risen, exacerbating the cost of living crisis and inducing widespread economic distress, and fuel shortages that have created a scarcity of petrol and subsequent price hikes.
Adding to the litany of economic woes plaguing the country, President Tinubu’s administration has also been unable to halt the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities such as tomatoes, exacerbating the already severe cost of living crisis that has plagued Nigeria for months, with many citizens struggling to afford even the most essential foodstuffs.
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