Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
Federal Government and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have been warned not to consider increasing the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, at the moment.
In a statement issued on Friday by its spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the opposition party said the current pump price of N145 per litre was “already exorbitant” and that increasing price of the commodity now “would not only be criminal but inhuman and completely unacceptable.”
PDP said investigations have shown that the Federal Government has been lying to Nigerians on oil related issues while using the NNPC to bandy figures with intentions to arrive at APC’s predetermined agenda to increase the price of fuel.
The PDP further stated that the lingering fuel crisis and its attendant black-market costs were only a ploy by the APC to justify their intended hike of petroleum prices.
“APC government has completely become numbed to the sufferings of Nigerians to the extent that it no longer cares in imposing more hardship on our people,” Mr Ologbondiyan said.
The party said instead of putting more burden on the people, the APC Government should come out clear on sleazes in the oil sector under its watch, particularly the shady oil subsidy payouts and illegal lifting of N1.1 trillion worth of crude using unregistered companies.
Recalling that Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had in December informed Nigerians that the NNPC has been paying subsidy on fuel, the PDP said the Federal Government has refused to tell Nigerians who the beneficiaries are, the amount involved and who authorized the payment, because of the inherent corruption in the deal.
“Any increase in fuel pump price would be an indirect tax on Nigerians to fund APC interests and considering the pains Nigerians have suffered under this inept and unfeeling Government, this intended hike will be callous.
“It is now clear to all that this APC- controlled government will never act in the interest of Nigerians. All the actions and policies of APC, in their close to three years in office, have been targeted against Nigerians and there are no signals that they will change.
“We therefore urge Nigerians to reject this plot to raise the prices of petroleum products even as they gear towards using the next election to end the misrule of the APC,” the statement stated.
