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Wants
organised labour to protest against policy
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Federal lawmaker pleads for patience
Governor Ayodele
Fayose of Ekiti state, southwestern Nigeria on Thursday called President
Muhammadu Buhari a hypocrite. He also described the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) as an advanced fee fraud practitioner for deceiving the
country’s citizens till it removed subsidy from premium motor spirit, also
known as petrol. Fayose, like many other Nigerians has remained angry since the
Wednesday announcement by Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, the country’s minister of
state for petroleum.
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| Governor Fayose |
The governor, seen as a major critic of the president,
released a second statement stating that Buhari and his APC had defrauded
Nigerians by increasing the price of petrol from N86.50 to N145 per litre. Share
on Facebook Share on Twitter Ayodele-Fayose angry with Buhari over fuel subsidy
removal. Urging Nigerians to resist the new policy, the governor added: “Those
who opposed removal of fuel subsidy in 2012 and funded the Occupy Nigeria
protest must not be allowed to get away with this imposition of hardship on
Nigerians now that they are in power.” The governor urged labour unions, civil
society organisations and other well-meaning Nigerians to stand up and be
counted at this crucial time in the life of the common people of Nigeria. READ
ALSO: See the real fuel prices at filling stations today (Photos) “There is no
justification for the increment at this period when government is not paying
salaries regularly, Nigerians are losing their jobs daily, prices of foodstuffs
have gone over the roof and life has become so difficult for the common
people,” Fayose added. Speaking through an aide, Lere Olayinka, the governor
said: “In 2012 when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of Dr
Goodluck Jonathan removed fuel subsidy and increased petrol price to N141 per
litre, crude oil was selling at $111 per barrel. How then can petrol price be
increased to N145 per litre when crude oil is now selling at $40 per barrel?
“It is on record that on May 2 this year, the federal government, through the
Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) template released in Abuja,
told Nigerians that it was subsidising petrol at N12.62 per litre. “If as at
May 2, petrol was being subsidised at N12.62 per litre, now that the subsidy of
N12.62 has been removed, what ought to have been added to the N86.50 pump price
should be N12.62, which would have increased pump price to N99.12 per litre.
“Increasing petrol pump price by N58.50 when the federal government claimed it
was subsidising the product at N12.62 per litre is clear political 419, which
is aimed at further impoverishing Nigerians as the government will be making
profit of N45.88 on each litre of petrol bought by Nigerians. “How can any
government with human feelings attempt to make profit of N45.88 per litre on
Nigerians, who are no longer getting their salaries regularly? How can Buhari
and his party impose another N45.88 per litre levy on Nigerians who are already
facing severe hardship?
“Nigerians should be reminded that the president once said
that petrol subsidy never existed and that it was a fraud. How then can the
same President Buhari tell us that he has removed the same subsidy he claimed
never existed? The reality is that these people lied to Nigerians too much.
They made promises they knew they won’t fulfill just to get to power. Now they
are showing Nigerians their true colours. They are showing Nigerians that they
have come to punish them with hardship. Buhari and his APC promised to reduce
petrol pump price to from N87 to N45 per litre; petrol is now N145. They
promised to create three million jobs per year; they have instead created
millions of unemployment. They said $1 will be equal to N1; $1 is now N320.
They promised to create better life for Nigerians, they have instead created
hardship by making prices of basic commodities to skyrocket through their lack
of policy direction.”
A member of the House of Representatives, Olajide Jimoh, however,
disagreed with Fayose, telling journalists on Thursday that the new policy is
the best solution to constant fuel scarcity in the country. Jide, who represents
Mainland federal constituency, stressed that the increment in price of fuel is
aimed at bringing lasting enjoyment to the people and that as a result, the
current hardship should be seen as temporary. “I believe Nigerians will smile
and there shall be light at the end of the tunnel but Nigerians must understand
the situation that President Buhari means good for the country. I just have to
appeal to the people on this issue of increment on petroleum price and also to
say that it is rather unfortunate and I believe if that is going to bring the
way forward, we should just be patient. What is of necessity now is for all of
us to rationalise and be creative and at the end of the day allow wisdom to
prevail in this circumstance.
“There are so many areas that could be addressed such as
the issue of transportation, the federal government should ensure provision of
luxurious buses and rail lines. “Meanwhile, Nigerians should not expect things
to happen in a day and I will urge them not to compare the Goodluck Jonathan
administration to this present one,” he said.
With the removal of subsidy on the product, the Federal Government
fixed N145 as the maximum amount to be charged per litre on petrol. The Trade
Union Congress (TUC) thinks the fuel price hike was a coup against organised
labour.
Source: naij.com
Source: naij.com
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