Francis Okeke & Abdulwasiu Hassan
8 December 2011
Gallop Polls Nigeria Limited (GPNL) today in Abuja kick-started a referendum on the controversial plan by President Goodluck Jonathan to remove subsidy on petroleum products.
President Goodluck Jonathan has for weeks now stepped up efforts for the removal of the subsidy claiming it is wrecking the economy, while on the other hand, labour and civil society have been mobilising Nigerians to resist the plan.
Principal Consultant and Chief Executive Officer of GPNL Mr. Tony Chigbo in a press conference told journalists that the referendum which would be administered through SMS will “open the door to voiceless Nigerians to air their views on governments planned removal of fuel subsidy.”
Mr. Chigbo said the referendum became necessary because both camps for and against the policy are “armed with unhindered access to the print and electronic media and have budgets and allocated resources to push through their views leaving the majority that voted in the April general elections in the dark.”
He added that GPNL will provide an empirical platform for the views of the majority to count “even as their votes counted in the April 2011 general elections.”
GPNL has enlisted the services of a reputable accounting firm in processing the data gathered urged subscribers of MTN, GLO, AIRTEL and ETISALAT to text either Yes or No to 33812 which will be simultaneously processed by the service providers, the accounting firm and the GPNL itself thereby totally eliminating any possibility of inaccuracy.
The poll which started today will end on December 15th and those who wish may add comments not exceeding 150 words to support their votes.
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