For the second day running, Ekiti state governor, Ayodele Fayose has lambasted President Muhammadu Buhari and the ruling All Progressives Congress over the new pump price of fuel imposed on Nigerians.
Fayose who spoke through his spokesman, Lere Olayinka said the government was defrauding Nigerians with the removal of fuel
subsidy and increment of pump
price from N86.50 to N145 per
litre, describing the increment as
wickedness taken too far.
On Wednesday, he had equally accused the President of being insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, adding that posterity would not forgive the leadership of the organized labour if the new development does not receive the same response as the subsidy removal of 2012.
On Thursday, he asked: “Was the federal government
paying up to N58.50 as subsidy on
one litre of petrol before now?”
Governor Fayose, who reiterated
his call on Nigerians, especially
the labour movement to resist
what he called “this wicked act of
President Buhari and his party”,
added that; “those who opposed
removal of fuel subsidy in 2012
and funded the Occupy Nigeria
protest must not be allowed to get
away with this imposition of
hardship on Nigerians now that
they are in power”.
He called on the organized labour and its civil society allies to
stand up and be counted at this
crucial time in the life of the
common people of Nigeria,
adding that “there is no
justification for the increment at
this period when government is
not paying salaries regularly,
Nigerians are losing their jobs
daily, prices of foodstuffs have
gone over the roof and life has
become so difficult for the
common people. To labour
Nigerians with this increment is
wickedness taken too far!”
He continued: “In 2012 when the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP)
government of Dr Goodluck
Jonathan removed fuel subsidy
and increased petrol price to
N141 per litre, crude oil was
selling at $111 per barrel. How
then can petrol price be increased
to N145 per litre when crude oil is
now selling at $40 per barrel?
“It is on record that on May 2 this
year, the federal government, in
the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory
Agency (PPPRA) Template released in Abuja,
told Nigerians that it was subsidising petrol at
N12.62 per litre.
“If as at May 2, petrol was being subsidised at
N12.62 per litre, and now that the subsidy of
N12.62 has been removed, what ought to have
been added to the N86.50 pump price should
be N12.62, which would have increased pump
price to N99.12 per litre.
“Increasing petrol pump price by N58.50
when the federal government claimed it was
subsidising the product at N12.62 per litre is
clear political 419, which is aimed at further
impoverishing Nigerians as the government
will be making profit of N45.88 on each litre
of petrol bought by Nigerians.
“How can any government with human
feelings attempt to make profit of N45.88 per
litre on Nigerians, who are no longer getting
their salaries regularly? How can Buhari and
his party impose another N45.88 per litre levy
on Nigerians who are already facing severe
hardship? This is wickedness!”
Governor Fayose added that there
was no justification for the removal of subsidy
and increment of petrol pump price to N145
per litre now that crude oil price is $40 per
barrel when the same product was increased
to N141 per litre in 2012 when crude oil was
$111 per barrel.
“Nigerians
should be reminded that the President once
said that petrol subsidy never existed and that
it was a fraud. How then can the same
President Buhari tell us that he has removed
the same subsidy he claimed never existed?
“The reality is that these people lied to
Nigerians too much. They made promises they
knew they won’t fulfil just to get to power.
Now they are showing Nigerians their true
colours. They are showing Nigerians that they
have come to punish them with hardship.
“Buhari and his APC promised to reduce
petrol pump price to from N87 to N45 per
litre; petrol is now N145. They promised to
create three million jobs per year; they have
instead created millions of unemployment.
They said $1 will be equal to N1; $1 is now
N320. They promised to create better live for
Nigerians, they have instead created hardship
by making prices of basic commodities to
skyrocket through their lack of policy
direction,” he said.
