By Dipo Olowookere
President Muhammadu Buhari has promised to decisively deal with those behind the scarcity of petroleum being experienced across the country.
Speaking in his New Year address to the nation on Monday, the President expressed sadness that Nigerians could not celebrate the yuletide as they would have wanted.
Mr Buhari said in his speech that so as to prevent such from happening in the future, he would make every effort to “get to the root of this collective blackmail of all Nigerians.”
“I join my fellow citizens this morning to welcome and celebrate the New Year 2018. This year promises to be pivotal in our quest for CHANGE.
“Unfortunately, I am saddened to acknowledge that for many this Christmas and New Year holidays have been anything but merry and happy.
“Instead of showing love, companionship and charity, some of our compatriots chose this period to inflict severe hardship on us all by creating unnecessary fuel scarcity across the country.
“The consequence was that not many could travel and the few who did had to pay exorbitant transport fares.
“This is unacceptable given that NNPC had taken measures to ensure availability at all depots. I am determined to get to the root of this collective blackmail of all Nigerians and ensure that whichever groups are behind this manipulated hardship will be prevented from doing so again,” the President said.
Speaking further, Mr Buhari maintained that, “Such unpatriotism will not divert the administration from the course we have set ourselves.
“Our government’s watch word and policy thrust is CHANGE. We must change our way of doing things or we will stagnate and be left behind in the race to lift our people out of poverty and into prosperity.”
