By Ishaya Ibrahim, News Editor
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday charged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reduce the pump price of fuel from what it called “a cosmetic N125 per liter to an appropriate price that should not exceed N90 per liter.”
The opposition party insisted that “given the fall of price of crude in the
international market to below $30 per barrel, the appropriate domestic
price for fuel should be between N80 to N90 per liter; a cost template
that should be immediately implemented to ease the economic burden on
Nigerians and further serve as palliative for the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.”
PDP’s position was contained in a statement by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, which was sent to TheNiche.
“Our party maintains that any further delay in the reduction of fuel
price amounts to fleecing of Nigerians at a time government should
rather concentrate on efforts that will immediately ease burdens and
enable our citizens battle health and economic concerns worsened by the
coronavirus disease,” the statement further said.
The party, therefore, urged agencies of government, particularly the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to be wary of alleged attempts by some All
Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to hijack fiscal procedures and push
hazy financial theories that will end up diverting public resources into
their hands, away from the poor Nigerians in the informal sector who are
in dire need of social remedies due to the impact of the COVID-19
pandemic.
The PDP said the CBN should be circumspect over the attempt by APC
leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to hide under social palliatives for the
COVID-19 impact, already advocated by the PDP and other well-meaning
Nigerians, to covertly sell a parochial pecuniary agenda of APC leaders
and the cabal.
“The PDP alerts that Senator Tinubu’s sudden and unsolicited interest in
palliative funds, without proffering instruments that will guarantee
direct disbursement to the poor masses and check diversions, raises
serious issues of ostensible attempt to prey on our national economy at
this critical time.
“It indeed speaks volumes that while the PDP and other patriotic
Nigerians and organizations have been rallying for solution, the APC has
not made any meaningful suggestion for solution.
“Rather, its leaders are busy seeking to use the unfortunate situation to
further plunder our national economy.
“The PDP therefore urged the CBN to hedge its system from APC leaders and
immediately develop strategies that will enable it to directly reach the
poor masses in the informal sector for disbursement of fiscal palliative
to cushion the effect of the COVID-19.
“The CBN should explore ways of routing the intervention to the people
using their Bank Verification Number (BVN) data in various banks in
addition to other social welfare programmes that would directly reach
the unemployed and the elderly.
“The PDP further urged the Federal Government to immediately develop an
emergency subsidy instrument that will lead to drastic cut in the cost
of food and other essential household commodities that had sharply risen
due to the COVID-19 pandemic
“In addition to our earlier demand for a review of all tax regimes,
particularly the Value Added Tax (VAT), the PDP also asks the Federal
Government not only to suspend all Personal Income Taxes but also refund
such taxes collected in the last two months as further palliatives to
citizens.
“Furthermore, our party urges Asiwaju Tinubu to join in impressing it on
President Buhari to order the recovery of the over N14 trillion stolen
by APC leaders, including the N9 trillion stolen oil money detailed in
the leaked NNPC memo and channel same as palliatives to Nigerians at
this critical time.
“Asiwaju should also appeal to President Buhari to cut down on the huge
cost of governance and expensive lifestyles of his administration and
restructure such funds to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians.”
