A former Edo governor, Chief John Oyegun, has commended President Goodluck Jonathan for reducing the fuel pump price, describing the act as “courageous’’.

He made the commendation as Nigerians continued to react to federal government’s reduction of the pump price to N97 a litre.

Our correspondent reports that the development had led the organised labour to fully suspend its strike over government’s removal of fuel subsidy.

Oyegun told newsmen that Jonathan’s move was courageous in spite of the fact that it was avoidable in the first instance if both labour and government had acted better.

“If the federal government and organised labour had genuinely negotiated this fuel pump price, it would have saved a lot of lives.

“The argument is not just about fuel price increase or reduction, but about good governance, fighting of corruption and sincerity,’’ he said.

Speaking also, Mr Nimmo Bassey, the Country Executive Director of Environmental Rights Agenda (ERA), said it was good that government saw the need to shift grounds.

He however argued that there was still a lot to be done on the issue.

“The reduction is not sufficient as the subsisting budget supports N65 per litre, and the N97 figure is a phantom figure that some of us do not support,’’ the activist said.

Bassey however, lauded the proposed probe of the subsidy payments.

“ The probe of the so-called subsidy payments, as announced by President Jonathan, is a step in the right direction.

“ However, the probe of the cabal and government agents should be handled by the peoples’ tribunal, not an EFCC whose hands are still full of cases of corruption that are crying for attention,’’ he said.