Obidient Movement to FG: Don’t Impose 5% Fuel Levy on Suffering Nigerians

The “Obidient” movement, a vocal group of supporters of the Labour Party’s former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has issued a stern warning to the Federal Government against the planned introduction of a 5% fuel levy. The group argues that while the government’s intention to use the tax for road infrastructure is commendable, its implementation would be a “misery” for citizens already struggling with the economic fallout of fuel subsidy removal.

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the group pointed to a history of similar levies that failed to deliver on their promises. “For decades, Nigerians have been fed the same promises: new levies will ‘fix our roads,’ ‘power our hospitals,’ and ‘transform our economy’,” the statement read. “Instead, trillions vanish into the pockets of corrupt elites while our highways crumble, and ordinary Nigerians are pushed deeper into poverty.”

The Obidient Movement contends that the fuel tax would be particularly cruel as it would punish the poor and vulnerable who rely on fuel for transportation and business. The group urged the government to explore alternative revenue sources, such as widening the tax net, taxing luxury consumption, and aggressively cutting down on what it called “wasteful government spending.”

The statement emphasized that the group would oppose any new fuel tax unless there were transparent and verifiable mechanisms in place to ensure that the funds are not diverted and that the public benefits directly. The warning comes at a time when the government is grappling with a massive public debt and a fiscal crisis, making any new tax policy a sensitive issue for millions of Nigerians.