By Valentine Amanze
As calls for the removal of fuel subsidy continues to mount, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Thursday cautioned the Muhammadu Buhari Presidency and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to perish any contemplation of increasing pump price of fuel beyond the current N145 per liter.
Insisting that the current price regime was already excruciating, the opposition party said its position was predicated on “our unwavering stand, as a party committed to the welfare of Nigerians, that any increase in fuel price will result in upsurge in cost of goods and services and worsen the biting hardship being faced by Nigerians, who are already overburdened by the APC in the last four years.”
The PDP further noted that, “At a time like this, rather than musing an
increase in the price of such an essential commodity, a responsive
leadership ought to be engaging stakeholders and seeking ways to achieve
a reduction in the interest of the people.”
A statement by the national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan said:
“Our party insists that the price comparison being contemplated by the
APC-controlled Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to warrant
an increase, is untenable and further demonstrates that the APC is a
party of selfish, unfeeling and insensitive individuals, who relish in
inflicting pain and anguish on Nigerians for their selfish desires.
“Moreover, in arguing that petrol price is cheap in Nigeria without also
comparing our market and production variables as well as social and
economic infrastructure, with those obtainable in other countries, the
APC-controlled NNPC is trying to play on the intelligence of Nigerians to pave way for further fleecing of our citizens.
“Such anti-people position can only come from leaders who do not have the
mandate of the people and as such think that they are not answerable or
accountable to the citizenry
“This is the same APC, which, in 2015, promised to reduce fuel pump price, only for it to jerk it up from N87 per liter, stabilized by the PDP, to an exorbitant N145, from which it now seeks a further increase.
“Moreover, the APC-led Federal Government has no justification whatsoever to contemplate any increase in pump price of fuel, when President Muhammadu Buhari has failed to recover the N9 trillion ($25 billion) oil money stolen under his watch, through sleazy contracts, as detailed in the leaked NNPC memo.
“President Buhari had also failed to recover the N1.1 trillion worth of
crude oil allegedly stolen, using 18 unregistered companies, reportedly
linked to APC interests.
“It is therefore unacceptable that rather than recovering the over N10
trillion stolen oil money and channeling same to our domestic energy
needs, the APC-led Federal Government is seeking to shift the burden of
the humongous corruption in the NNPC, as confirmed by the new Group
Managing Director, Mele Kyari, on our already deprived and impoverished
compatriots.”
The opposition party said it was sad that “at a time Nigerians should have been enjoying the benefits of Atiku Abubakar’s economic recovery plan, they are still being faced with apprehensions of more economic hardship under the hypocritical and unfeeling APC.”
