Follow Us on Google
From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has kicked against the approval of a 15 per cent import duty on petrol and diesel by President Bola Tinubu.
The ADC, in a statement by its interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, said the policy would impose more hardship of Nigerians, who are already grappling with high cost of living.
The opposition party stated that while it supports private investments in the energy sector, policies meant to protect such investments must also protect the people and put their interests first.
The ADC, while questioning the rationale for imposing the 15 per cent import levy under the guise of protecting domestic production, stated that the Port Harcourt refinery, which was cited as a key component of the government’s local refining strategy, collapsed within five months after a $1.5 billion was spent on its rehabilitation, resulting in a N366.2 billion naira loss.
Other News
“From all indications, this new levy is likely to push the pump price of petrol beyond N1,000 per litre. If this happens, life would become even more unbearable for families, commuters, transporters, farmers, and small businesses already struggling under the weight of fuel subsidy removal without social protection and currency devaluation without safeguards.
“What has become clear is that the Tinubu administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda is, at best, a trial-and-error system and, at worst, a cynical, self-serving agenda that has no consideration for the ordinary people of Nigeria.
“While the government continues to push the narrative of economic progress, food, rent, and transport—not to talk of school fees—continue to be priced out of the reach of ordinary Nigerians. If the government continues with this latest tax attack, it would further compound the people’s suffering.
“The ADC therefore firmly opposes this ill-conceived import duty and warns the government not to push the people to the wall. We demand that it be reversed immediately. Nigerians deserve a government that plans, not one that panics. A government that cannot run its own refineries has no business taxing those who keep the country running with their sweat and blood,” the party noted.
