By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
Rev. Philip Micah Dopah, Director of Connectional Ministries of the Southern Nigeria Conference of the United Methodist Church (UMC), has called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to take a cue from his predecessor, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and reverse the fuel subsidy to calm the planned protests.
“During the regime of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the incumbent President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu was among the Nigerians that protested,” Rev. Dopah said in an interview with SUMMIT POST in Jalingo. “When Nigerians protested, former President Jonathan took over the protest by reversing the fuel price to Ninety-seven Naira (N97.00) per litre and the whole situation calmed down.”
Rev. Dopah expressed support for President Tinubu’s call for Nigerians not to embark on protests, but also warned of the consequences of inaction. “If Nigerians refuse to protest and the food crisis persists, what happens?” he asked.
He advised President Tinubu to “take the bull by the horn” and address the fuel subsidy issue, saying, “If President Tinubu will today announce that the issue of fuel subsidy has been reinstated, about 80% of Nigeria’s problems are over.”
On the high cost of food items, Rev. Dopah lamented that many Nigerians are dying daily due to hunger, and suggested that the federal government needs a strong economic policy. “Our highly experienced sons and daughters in diaspora can be invited to form and build a strong economic team that will help minimize the food crisis we are facing,” he said.
Rev. Dopah also called on President Tinubu to form a strong economic team, including experienced economists like Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, to help manage the country’s economy.