Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State has alleged that the Federal Government is deliberately causing the current scarcity of fuel in the country so as to be able to justify the planned increment of petrol pump price from N145 to N185 per litre.
Governor Fayose, in a statement on Sunday, claimed that the federal government is being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, saying “petrol is scarce across the country because the federal government deliberately reduced supply since it is only the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that is importing the product.”
Petrol is virtually non-existent in most parts of Ekiti State while it currently sells for between N160 and N165 where it could be found.
Fayose, who was reacting to the development through a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Mr. Lere Olayinka, said “allowing fuel scarcity to persist for over two weeks when Nigerians are preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year is
the height of wickedness on the part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
“Funny enough, instead of directing its anger to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Minister of Petroleum, on December 7, 2017, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) choose to give the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu seven days ultimatum to end the fuel scarcity. Today is December 17, exactly 10 days after the misplaced ultimatum was given, the situation has even gotten worse.”
According to him, “by the time the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) goes on strike as being threatened, the whole country will be shut down and one wonders what will become of Nigerians that desire to move around during the festive season.”
Governor Fayose said it was “necessary for the federal government to tell Nigerians the truth about the situation of fuel supply in the country,” noting that “it is the restriction of supply of petrol to NNPC alone that has put Nigerians into hardship.”
According to him, “only the NNPC is bringing products in and the result is the scarcity being experienced now. The thinking is that by the time the scarcity persists for like one month, with Nigerians already buying at N200 per litre, the people will jump at it if petrol is increased from N145 to N185 per litre.
“This time, Nigerians will resist any attempt to further impoverish them by increasing the pump price of petrol.”