.Says it’s invitation to mass protest
By Valentine Amanze, Online Editor
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) federal government of Nigeria against fresh petrol price hike.
It stated that any fresh increase in pump price of fuel by the Federal Government would amount to a direct invitation to mass protest across the country.
The main opposition party via its spokesman Kola Ologbondiyan, on Friday said that any contemplation for N212 pump price would be pushing Nigerians to the wall.
It also warned that the new fuel price could trigger reactions capable of worsening an already tensed situation and lead to economic and social crisis in the country.
The statement reads: “Our party holds that the N212 per liter reportedly contemplated in the March pricing template by the APC administration is wicked, insensitive, and callous.
“It is a barefaced fact that there is no way that Nigerians can survive such hike in fuel price, which will worsen the already agonizing economic situation in the country.
“Our party maintains that with an honest and transparent administration of our national production capacity and potentialities, domestic price of fuel should not exceed N70 per liter.
“The continuous unjustified increase in the price of fuel is a deliberate scheme by the APC, through which their leaders fleece Nigerians of billions of naira on daily basis.
“Nigerians have endured enough under the suppressive, corrupt, insensitive and incompetent APC administration and it is our concern that any further increase in fuel price may become the last straw that might break the camel’s back as already cautioned by our party last month.
“Our party had cautioned that with over 100 million citizens living in abject poverty, with an alarming 23% unemployment rate and many more living below N500 a day, any increase in fuel price is capable of triggering a mass protest in the land.
“This is particularly as the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its government have been unable to account for the over N15 trillion allegedly stolen by APC leaders”.
The PDP however urged the federal government to save the nation the trouble by ending every contemplation of fuel price increase, “particularly at this time Nigerians are expecting a downward review in prices”.
The main opposition party called on Nigerians to remain calm but very alert in readiness, within the ambit of the laws and opportunities granted under democracy, to stand up and defend the national patrimony and collective wealth.
The Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) had on Friday, announced an increase in pump price from N168 to N212 per litre of petrol on its website. The agency however deleted the post on its website following an announcement by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that there were no plans for such increase.