National Youth Council Threatens to Protest against Fuel, Naira Scarcity

Gideon Arinze in Enugu

The Enugu State chapter of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has threatened to embark on street protest should the federal government fail to address the challenge of naira scarcity and hike in price of fuel.

Addressing journalists yesterday in Enugu, the Chairman of the state chapter of NYCN, Henry Ifeanyichukwu, said the council was concerned by the hike in fuel price and scarcity of the new naira notes, which, according to him, has caused untold hardship for the people.

He noted that although the National Executive Council of the NYCN had called for 14 days of national protest, the Enugu

State chapter cannot afford to embark on a street protest due to the current security challenges in the state and the entire South-east region.

He, however, warned the federal government not to take the council’s decision for granted, noting that they might be forced to hit the streets should the sufferings continue.

Ifeanyichukwu also called on managers of all bank branches in the state to work with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to ensure that money is made available in all ATM machines so that residents can have access to it for their daily business.

According to him, “We call for an end to this untold hardship on our people as we cannot afford to continue like this. I must also thank youths of the state for staying calm in the mid of this untold hardship.”