Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, has warned the Federal Government and the Nigeria Governors’ Forum against removing the subsidy on petroleum products.
He said deregulation of the commodity would lead to revolution.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria was reacting to a recent comment credited to the chairman of the forum and Governor of Rivers State, Mr. Rotimi Amaechi, in which he said mass revolt, was unlikely in the country.
Amaechi had at the Nigeria Symposium for Young and Emerging Leaders held recently, said many Nigerians had become used to suffering rather than pushing for a change.
The governor said he was sure that those who gathered to protest against the removal of oil subsidy in January 2012 would have fled if President Goodluck Jonathan had drafted soldiers to the Freedom Park, Lagos, and other states to quell the uprising.
Falana, in an electronic mail to our correspondent, further said Nigerian rulers had been cut off from those they rule.
He argued that the increasing number of people taking up arms to commit crimes, had confirmed that Nigerians were not afraid of death.
He said, “As far as I am concerned, it is the height of alienation on the part of the country’s rulers to believe that Nigerians are not ready to die in a country where militants, terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers and other young people are taking up arms against a rickety neo-colonial state.”
Falana further said out of class solidarity, most state governors conspired with the Federal Government to break the general strike and mass action against fuel subsidy removal in January 2012.
He said, “If the governor thinks a revolution is impossible in Nigeria, we dare the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and the Federal Government to announce another increase in the price of Premium Motor Spirit.
“With respect, one does not expect a state governor cruising around in a private jet in the midst of poverty- stricken people to see the faces of hungry and angry people who are going to wage the revolution at the appropriate time.”
