Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has announced that government will subsidize fuel prices and immediately would slash the prices to about $2.75 (£1.80) a gallon after nationwide protests and strike paralyzed the country last week.
Fuel prices in Nigeria before January 1, used to be about 65 naira (40 cents) per liter.
Goodluck in a broadcast message to the nation said that petrol prices would be reduced from N141 to N97. Protests in Nigeria began on January 2, and nationwide strikes on January 9, paralyzing the nation of more than 160 million people, with the main root cause of removal of fuel subsidy which led to an overnight doubling in the prices of fuel from $1.70 a gallon (45 cents a litre) to at least $3.50 a gallon (94 cents a litre). The costs of food and transportation also largely doubled in a country where most people live on less than $2 a day.
But the protests don’t seem to end here. Nigerians don’t seem to be satisfied with the Goodluck’s partial roll back on fuel subsidy. Since the time, reduced fuel prices to N97 were announced there seemed to be a certain level of discontentment amongst Nigerians as #N97 has been heavily trending on twitter. We did a small compilation about what people have to say.
Fuel prices have been increased from N65 to N97 as a form of tax on Nigerians #OccupyNigeria
— J Japheth-Omojuwa (@omojuwa) January 16, 2012
LET US MAKE OUR VOICES KNOWN: RETWEET!!! THISIF YOU ARE AGAINST N97 PER LITRE…. — ★♔LAUGH or YAWN♔★ (@LaughorYawn) January 16, 2012
Some tweeples had their interesting calculations as to how did N97 figure arrive!
How did FGN arrive at N97? Diezani’s age(52) + Ngozi’s age(58) minus the number of years PDP has ruled Nigeria(13) = 97. Prove me wrong
— slayer of norm (@OlukoyaAde) January 16, 2012
Lagos is deserted, #NationwideStrike continues for the 8th day in full power #OccupyNigeria #fuelsubsidyremoval twitter.com/abdallahelsham… — Abdullah Elshamy (@abdallahelshamy) January 16, 2012
Few pinpointed to GEJ in specific
Everyone can protest how they choose, but Labour did not reach any N97 agreement. Rather, GEJ came out to announce it off his own bat!
— Ayo Obe (@naijama) January 16, 2012
#occupyNigeria:GEJ We dont want nokia N97 we want nokia E65 — Ruggedman (@RuggedyBaba) January 16, 2012
