PANAPRESS
Panafrican News Agency
UN intervention sought over fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria
Lagos, Nigeria (PANA) - A Nigerian civil society organisation has taken the battle over the country's decision to remove fuel subsidy to the UN.
According to a statement made available to PANA here Tuesday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a passionate appeal to the UN Human Rights Council urging it to “act urgently to stop the Nigerian government from implementing its unlawful policy of removal of fuel subsidy.”
The organization also urged the Council “to consider the removal of fuel subsidy as amounting to violation of the country’s international human rights obligations.”
SERAP said the petition, dated 3 January 2012, was brought under the Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure, and copied to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanethem Pillay; current president of the Human Rights Council, Ms Laura Dupuy Lasserre; and Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Ms. María Magdalena Sepúlveda.
“The withdrawal of fuel subsidy at a time when ordinary Nigerian workers are grossly underpaid and facing extreme poverty will perpetuate inequality and hurt the poor disproportionately by denying this group access to basic necessities of life, such as essential foodstuffs, essential primary health care, basic shelter and housing, and the most basic forms of education,” the organization said in the appeal.
“It is the uncontrolled corruption and not fuel subsidy that has continued to slow down sustainable development and economic growth, and in turn putting at risk the stability and security of the country.”
“Specifically, the government has failed to establish effective and sufficiently independent mechanisms and processes to address and tackle widespread and systemic corruption in the petroleum sector; and therefore violated its obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the citizens’ human rights,” SERAP added.
Nigeria's workers' unions are bracing up for a mass protest to force the government to rescind the decision to raise petrol price, which has taken the price of a litre of the product from 65 naira (0.4 cents) to at least 141 naira (0.90 cents).
-0- PANA SEG 3Jan2012
According to a statement made available to PANA here Tuesday, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent a passionate appeal to the UN Human Rights Council urging it to “act urgently to stop the Nigerian government from implementing its unlawful policy of removal of fuel subsidy.”
The organization also urged the Council “to consider the removal of fuel subsidy as amounting to violation of the country’s international human rights obligations.”
SERAP said the petition, dated 3 January 2012, was brought under the Human Rights Council Complaint Procedure, and copied to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms Navanethem Pillay; current president of the Human Rights Council, Ms Laura Dupuy Lasserre; and Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Ms. María Magdalena Sepúlveda.
“The withdrawal of fuel subsidy at a time when ordinary Nigerian workers are grossly underpaid and facing extreme poverty will perpetuate inequality and hurt the poor disproportionately by denying this group access to basic necessities of life, such as essential foodstuffs, essential primary health care, basic shelter and housing, and the most basic forms of education,” the organization said in the appeal.
“It is the uncontrolled corruption and not fuel subsidy that has continued to slow down sustainable development and economic growth, and in turn putting at risk the stability and security of the country.”
“Specifically, the government has failed to establish effective and sufficiently independent mechanisms and processes to address and tackle widespread and systemic corruption in the petroleum sector; and therefore violated its obligations to respect, protect, promote and fulfil the citizens’ human rights,” SERAP added.
Nigeria's workers' unions are bracing up for a mass protest to force the government to rescind the decision to raise petrol price, which has taken the price of a litre of the product from 65 naira (0.4 cents) to at least 141 naira (0.90 cents).
-0- PANA SEG 3Jan2012
