Fuel hike: Nigerians divided over call for Soyinka to lead protest

Some Nigerians have expressed different views over calls for Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, to lead a fresh protest against the purported increase in the price of petroleum in the country.

Though the Federal Government had apologised and debunked plans to increase fuel price “for now”, some Nigerians on Twitter complained that Soyinka should have at least spoken strongly against the FG’s plan.

Some of them uploaded the front page of an old edition of The PUNCH where Soyinka described former President Goodluck Jonathan as being worst than Nebuchadnezzar.

The PUNCH had reported that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency revealed in a new monthly template that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol, has reached N212.6 per litre.

According to the template, which the PPRA later deleted, petrol is expected to sell at a lower retail price of N209.61 and at an upper retail price of N212.61. Nigerian marketers usually use the upper band for pump prices.

Many Nigerians also doubted the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s insistence that there won’t be any hike in petrol price in March.

While some of the Nigerians argued that Soyinka could have repeated his action during fuel subsidy removal during Jonathan’s regime, others noted that he was too old to embark on a protest.

One of those who expected the 86-year-old professor to lead a protest, @ejirogh3ne, said, “Defending Wole Soyinka after the show he put up in 2015 is wrong. If you claim he’s older now and can’t lead a protest, he can as well do a press conference from the comfort of his home. He did that with Jonathan.”

“Our Daddy Wole Soyinka must talk. He did it for GEJ. We are waiting for you, sir,” @AdefehinOladeji tweeted.

@iam_Kingbuchi said, “Wole Soyinka saw how terrible Buhari’s government was from 1983-1985 and he still campaigned for him. This argument this morning is vexing me already. If he feels he can’t come out to talk, let him invite the press to his house.”

@Akewusolaf1 added, “With Wole Soyinka’s voice, many of our parents voted for Buhari in 2015. Most especially, those who listen to ‘Koko inu iwe iroyin’ on Bond FM. That’s how strong his voice is. Replicating such energy now solely depends on him though. Regardless of his age.” Punch