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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja, David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described attempts by the Presidency to justify the increase from N87 under the President Goodluck Jonathan administration to N160 as provocative.
The PDP in a statement by Kola Ologbondiyan claimed the Presidency was pushing Nigerians to the brink with its disregard to the demand for an immediate downward review of the pump price.
The opposition party said it was incredulous for government to predicate the increase on a comparison which obtains in other countries.
The PDP, while describing the comparison as not only absurd but also completely illogical” observed that the standard of living and purchasing power of the average Nigerian in the last five years cannot be compared with what obtains in other countries.
“Our party holds that the defence of such a humongous hike, which has worsened the hardship being suffered by Nigerians under the Buhari administration, is in bad taste and should be rescinded immediately.
“It is indeed an unpardonable slap on the sensibilities of Nigerians that after running a heavily corrupt oil trade and subsidy regime, through which over N14 trillion had been allegedly frittered away by its officials, the Buhari administration seeks to put the burden of high costs on innocent and already impoverished citizens.
“The PDP totally rejects this attempt to hinge the increase in fuel price on presumed removal of oil subsidy when it has failed to account for the proceeds of oil sales in the last five years, even in the face of confession by the Managing Director of the NNPC, Mele Kyari, in April, that the APC administration had been running an over-bloated and sleazy oil subsidy regime.
“Also the Buhari administration had failed to account for the confession by the NNPC that it was engaged in secret siphoning of oil money through claimed subsidising of fuel for certain West Africa countries.”
Also reacting, Anglican Bishop of Mbamili Diocese, Anambra State, Rt. Rev. Henry Okechukwu Okeke described the price hike as unthinkable and a show of high level of insensitivity.
Bishop Okeke stated this on Sunday at the 1st session of the 4th synod held of the church at St. John Anglican Church, Umueze Anam in Anambra West Local Government Area, Anambra State.
The Bishop said that the government needed to have a rethink on the issue of fuel price hike, noting that such “callous” decision came to Nigerians as a shock. The cleric said he never believed that the government could toe that line of action at a time of unprecedented hardship ravaging many families as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.
He called on the Federal Government to consider the plight of the masses and urgently do something about it, saying it sent a wrong signal to the whole world, especially on the capability of President Buhari-led government to manage the situation.
“I wish to join my voice to the voices of many Nigerians to appeal for a rethink. It appears as if the government is standing aloof watching things like this happening in our nation Nigeria. The Presidential Task Force on COVID-19 has been appealing to the conscience of Nigerians over the hardship and ugly experience people are going through now as a result of the COVID-19.
“Coming back to hike the pump price of fuel is a surprise to Nigerians. I think Nigerians are not receiving it with joy at all. For the rich people, it may not mean anything, but to the poor, it is a serious problem. I, therefore, call on the Federal Government to have a rethink,” he said.
