The Peoples Democratic Party, on Wednesday, chided the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government over the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit also known as fuel from N534 to N617 per litre.
The National Publicity
Secretary of the main opposition party, Debo Ologunagba, in a statement,
described the new price as provocative and extortionate, adding that the recent
increment worsened the already suffocating economic situation under the leadership
of the APC.
The statement read in part,
“Our party insists that the N617 per litre of fuel is excessive, unacceptable
and cannot be justified under any guise. This is especially given the economic
potential and prospects within our country.
“It is appalling that instead
of seeking ways to stabilise and grow the economy, the APC administration has
abandoned the welfare of Nigerians which is the primary purpose of government
under Section 14 (2)(b) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,
1999 (as amended) and left the citizens to the vagaries of market forces and
exploitative cabal; a disposition that is characteristic of a government that
is not accountable to the people.
“The PDP is alarmed that with
its ill-thought out, badly planned and hurriedly-executed policies, the APC is
running Nigeria’s economy aground with the value of naira rapidly plummeting,
businesses and production shutting down; citizens losing their means of
livelihood, commercial and social activities crippled, with millions of
families no longer able to afford their daily needs as the costs of food,
medication and other essential goods and services continue to skyrocket.”
According to the statement, the
present dire situation comes as a consequence of APC’s insensitivity, seething
corruption, scandalous cluelessness and lack of capacity to effectively steady
and manage the nation’s economy.
“Indeed, this is not the nation
that Nigerians yearned for after the abysmal, harrowing and inhuman eight years
of the Buhari-led APC administration as the situation has currently gone from a
frightening bad to a terrifying worse with no hope in sight,” the statement
said.
Faulting the governing party’s
justification of the recent hike in PMS price, the PDP stressed that the “lame
argument of market forces and comparison of the price of fuel in Nigeria with
those of other countries which have functional infrastructure, variety of
affordable alternative transportation system and sources of energy; strong
currency and where citizens earn far higher than what obtains in Nigeria,”
makes the new price regime indefensible.
According to the party, “Even
with the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, with a deft, transparent and
innovative management of resources, economic potentials, national comparative
advantage and expanded value chain in refining capacity, fuel should not sell
for more than N150 per litre in Nigeria.”
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