The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University chapter, has given the Federal Government knocks over the planned removal of fuel subsidy by January 2012, saying, the decision is anti-people and counter-productive.

Making the position of the union known in an interview in Port Harcourt, the chairman of NDU ASUU, Dr Beke Sese noted that fuel subsidy had always generated controversy in the country, stressing that the federal government ought to tread cautiously in handling the issue.

He argued that a situation where the government often targets fuel subsidy whenever it runs short of funds does not augur well for the masses of the country.

The ASUU chairman said the fact that there was widespread poverty across the country was enough justification for the government not to tinker with the idea of removing the subsidy, pointing out that removal of the subsidy would further compound the woes of the common people whom he said were always the victims of the obnoxious policy of government.

Relating it to the recently approved N18,000 minimum wage for workers in the country, Sese said the removal of the subsidy would rubbish the new wage, as prices of goods and services would skyrocket across the country, adding that it was a calculated attempt by the Federal Government to take back with the left hand what it had given with the right hand.

While calling on the government to resist the temptation of tinkering with the idea, the university teacher said it would amount to hypocrisy on the part of the government if it goes ahead with the plan.

He, however, suggested that the government should tackle corruption which he said has been the greatest problem plaguing the nation.

Not until corruption was tackled, he said the country would continue to be backwards in its developmental strides and the masses would be the worst for it.

“The government should allow fuel subsidy to stay and look for something else to solve its problems”, he pleaded.

Sese commended the Governor of Bayelsa State, Chief Timipre Sylva for clearing the backlog of arrears of salaries owed lecturers of the Niger Delta University, saying, the gesture was exemplary.

He, however, called on the state government to increase the funding of the university which he said was suffering from poor infrastructure, stressing that the ugly trend had persisted because of the lack of political will on the part of government to properly fund the university.

On the N18,000 minimum wage, Sese said the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state had already given a seven-day ultimatum to the government to implement it or face total strike action.

He explained that with Governor Sylva’s reputation as a labour-friendly governor, he was confident that he was going to pay the new wage without hesitation, stressing that the state has more than enough resources to implement the new wage.

Donatus Ebi