By Adesina Soyooye
Afrobeat Music star, Femi Anikulapo-Kuti, has revealed that he pulled out of the 2012 fuel price protest against the Goodluck Jonathan Government when he found out it was politically motivated. He said he got a backlash for pulling out, but that he stood his ground.
Femi revealed this in a statenent following the uproar that has greeted the hike in fuel price by the Muhammadu Buhari Government early this week.
In 2012, an adhoc association which called itself, Occupy Nigeria, had occupied, for days, the Ojota square Lagos, in protest of the fuel hike then. In hundreds, they were entertained, everyday, by musicians, and fed to the hilt.
The Government reversed, meeting them half way.
In the statement, Femi said he was invited to join the protest against the Jonathan Government. He said he did, but pulled out as soon as he realised it was politically motivated.
He also revealed that Vice President Prof, Femi Osinbajo called and, invited him to join the APC, but that he turned him down. Explaining why, Femi said he would never be part of any political party that does not have the interest of the masses at heart.
Femi: ” I want to state for clarity and posterity my role in the Ojota pretest. I was invited for what I, and many, believed was a genuine cause regarding the cost of fuel. As soon as I found out it was politically motivated, I pulled out. I got a lot od backlash at the time, but I stood my ground.
“For the record, I have NEVER, and will NEVER affiliate myself with any political party that I don’t feel has the genuine interest of the people of Nigeria at heart.
“Even when the VP approached me to join APC, I blatantly refused, as I also refused to join the PDP or any political party.”
Femi’s father, Fela was jailed, for five years, by Buhari’s Military Government.
Early this week, the Nigerian Government hiked the price of fuel from N148 to N151 per litre. It is now being sold for N162 per litre. The Government says it can do nothing about it, just as Marketers warned it could, and would keep rising.
The increase has been greeted with strong condemnations from several quarters. It came the same time as the hike in electricity tariff.
Given the financial crunch on Nigerians and the hunger in the land, worsened by the outbreak of COVID-19, many describe the hikes as insensitive.
Labour Unions are gearing for a nationwide protest. On Friday in Osun State, many people took to the streets to protect the hikes.
