Abuja residents protest over scarcity of fuel

Nigerians protesting the shortage of fuel flooded Abuja on Monday. In an effort to raise awareness of the fuel shortage in the nation and pressure President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's federal administration to take action, the Coalition of Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria organised protests. 

At a gathering on Monday at the Abuja Unity Fountain, the group's convener, Comrade Aminu Abbas, accused Mr. Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), of being responsible for the regrettable event.

Some of the inscriptions on the placards read: “We are tired of hearing stories about our refineries”, No direction, Kyari is just drifting with the wind”, “We want accountability in the affairs of NNPCL”.

The coalition claimed that local refineries were being sabotaged while criticising the state of the refineries' degradation and asserting that things have become worse and worse with no end in sight.

“Why do we, the people, have to endure endless queues, inflated prices, and the daily uncertainty of whether we can fuel our vehicles or power our homes? The answer lies in the gross incompetence and mismanagement.

“We ask: what has Kyari done to alleviate this crisis? Where are the solutions? Why are our refineries, which should be the backbone of our fuel supply, still in disrepair?

“We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history. President Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda promises a new beginning for our country, a path to prosperity and security for all Nigerians”.