Petrol price hike, imposition of hardship on Nigerians ― PDP

Opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) has described the new petrol price hike from N123 to N143.80 as imposition of hardship on Nigerians by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government.

The party in a statement, on Thursday, signed by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, where it rejected the pump price, said giving the prevailing economic hardship foisted on the country, the new rate was a punishment on the Nigerian people.

The Federal government had, on Wednesday, announced a new fuel pump regime which in its view reflects the international pump price.

PDP said the hike in pump price in the latest review by the Petroleum Product Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) was unjustifiable.

The statement reads: “the party described the hike, despite the decline price of crude oil in the international market, as grossly unjustifiable and further exposes the insincerity of the APC and its administration.

“The PDP notes that in directing a fuel price increase at the time Nigerians are facing the economic and social trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC administration shows a total lack of human feelings to the plights of our citizens.

“Our party challenges the APC-led Federal Government to present to Nigerians, the indices and parameters it used to determine the price increase, which obviously cannot be in tandem with the prevalent situation in the global industry.

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“The actions of the APC administration have continued to confirm that the party has never been pro-poor but only relishes in imposing hardship and heavy taxes on already impoverished Nigerians while running an over-bloated government through which resources meant for the welfare of Nigerians are frittered by corrupt officials and the cabal in the Presidency.

“Under the APC, Nigerians have been subjected to untold hardship, which is worsened by excruciating taxes, including a 7.5 per cent Value Added Tax (VAT) on essential commodities and services, increased electricity tariff, obnoxious Stamp Duty and other levies on bank transactions.

“It is shocking that the APC government has continued to impose more burdens that have made life unbearable to our citizens, many of whom have lost their means of livelihood due to the misrule of the APC.

“Only yesterday, President Buhari told the world that the number of poor people will triple following the adverse impact of COVID-19 pandemic; yet his administration, which has turned our nation into the poverty capital of the world, instead of seeking ways to stimulate the economy, is worsening the situation with an increase in fuel price.

“What Nigerians expect of the Buhari Presidency at this critical time is to save resources by immediately cutting the size of its over-bloated government, recover the over N14 trillion oil money stolen under its watch and channel the funds towards the wellbeing of Nigerians.

“Our party, therefore, charges the APC and its administration to immediately reverse the pump price of fuel to a price not exceeding N90 per litre, given the prevailing templates in the price of crude oil in the international market.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE