The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) has alleged that some persons created the lingering fuel scarcity to force Nigerians into accepting the failed fuel subsidy removal.
The Coalition also alleged that some influential people in the Presidency, NNPC, Ministry of Petroleum Resources and some marketers have been orchestrating chaos in a coordinated manner in the petroleum sector after they failed to remove fuel subsidy.
In a statement signed by the Director, Strategic Communication of CNG, Samaila Musa, the Coalition called for the prosecution of those involved in importing the adulterated fuel which cause damage to the vehicles of Nigerians.
“From the importation of the adulterated fuel to colluding and hoarding of fuel that resulted in acute fuel scarcity in the country; it is their strategy to torture, strain and force Nigerians to accept subsidy removal as the last resort when the fuel scarcity persists incessantly.
“This despicable culture of creating and sustaining fuel scarcity has been the evil mechanism that they have been employing since military eras whenever they plan to skyrocket petrol prices. The Nigerian masses must challenge, resist and defeat this evil agenda,” CNG said.
Furthermore, the statement said “CNG condemns this orchestrated plan to scuttle the subsidy regime which the NNPC and the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources deliberately, via their cronies, imported which did not only cause damages to people’s vehicles but also created artificial fuel scarcity that many businesses and economic activities were brought to a standstill.
“It is estimated that over 200 billion naira is now required to clean up the adulterated fuel before it can be consumed in addition to the money already spent in purchasing, transporting and subsidising the fuel.
ALSO READ FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
- Ukrainian Soldiers Threatened To Shoot Us —Returnee Students
- Alleged Defilement: Baba Ijesha Weeps In Court, Says Princess His Ex-Lover
“CNG’s position is therefore clear: those responsible for importing the methanol-blended fuel must pay for its clean-up or refinement and resources from the public treasury should not be used for that purpose.
“We unequivocally demand that the importation of adulterated and methanol-blended petroleum must be thoroughly investigated. The perpetrators must be identified, prosecuted and sanctioned appropriately to serve as deterrence to any saboteur.
“This is important because the resultant effect of fuel scarcity across the country subjected Nigerians to waste many hours on long queues at filling stations, instigated hoarding of fuel in some places and disrupted people from their daily activities.”
CNG said the President should understand that some people very close to him and his appointees are the architects of the current fuel paucity in Nigeria.
The Northern Coalition, therefore, said Nigerians view this move as ultimate betrayal and breach of trust unless the President acts swiftly in the interest of the people to reverse this ugly trend.
CNG noted that the Senate President should know that all their efforts and support in retaining the subsidy is being scattered by the very people serving the government.
“The CNG is privy to the fact that ordinary citizens bear the brunt in this already tough economic situation. As such, it is our collective patriotic and moral obligation to challenge this rascality, incompetence and economic sabotage in the interest of the nation and its impoverished citizens.
“With their actions and commissions, they have demonstrated that they can go to extremes to create problems so that in the long run, subsidies will be bastardised and eventually eliminated altogether. We shall challenge them on this vendetta all the time.
“CNG, therefore, calls on Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and all other stakeholders against fuel subsidy removal to start strategizing and mobilising for a grand nationwide protest to demand the resignation of the top management of NNPC, Minister of Petroleum and all other functionaries creating this recurrent problem in the oil sector.
“CNG will commence mobilisation in earnest so that all hands must be on deck to confront this problem of national significance,” he statement added.
and then