NBA, opposition parties urge NASS to stop FG

Chairman, Nigerian Bar Association, Ilorin branch, Mr. Rafiu Balogun, on Wednesday warned that the country might witness a series of protests should the National Assembly pass the 2012 budget without provision for fuel subsidy, as was presented to them on Tuesday by President Goodluck Jonathan.Balogun told our correspondent on the telephone that it would be unfortunate if the NASS endorsed the budget without the subsidy, insisting that the subsidy removal should have been done in phases. He said the removal should only be implemented when essential infrastructure had been provided to mitigate the effects of the withdrawal.The lawyer argued that the government should have made the refineries functional and provided effective railway system before the subsidy withdrawal. Balogun said, "The National Assembly must not pass the budget like that. They must not endorse it. It is anti-people. If the National Assembly passes it, the NBA and other groups will go to the streets in protest. We are going to resist it. We will join other groups to resist it." Kwara State Chairman, Action Congress of Nigeria, Mr. Kayode Olawepo, and his All Nigeria Peoples Party counterpart, Alhaji Taiwo Eleja, also condemned the subsidy removal. They urged the National Assembly to reject the proposal.Olawepo, in a telephone interview with our correspondent, said the final approval of the policy now rested with the National Assembly that will reject or pass the proposal. He urged NASS to reject it."How can oil subsidy be removed now' If the National Assembly approves the budget, then there is subsidy withdrawal. They should not pass the subsidy. Their action will show the level of their integrity and their representation of their people. I do not want fuel subsidy removed. It must stay," he said.Eleja, also in a telephone interview, said the removal of subsidy at this time would not be good for the masses.He stated that it might aggravate the current national insecurity and lead to hyper-inflation. He urged NASS to outrightly reject the proposal."Our economy is a developing one and fuel is a basic resource as far our economy is concerned. Removal of subsidy means that there will be increment on petroleum product and that will lead to inflation," he said.
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