Petrol price hike as Buhari’s 1st yrs Anniversary gift to Nigerians
(Nigeria) By Ayodele Fayose
Despite his electoral promise to reduce petrol pump price
from the N87 per litre that he met it, President Mohammad Buhari increased the
price to N145! With this increment, Buhari has further impoverished Nigerians.
Nigerians should be reminded that on April 14, 2015,
President Buhari’s ally and former Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Prof. Tam
David-West, told Nigerians that Gen. Mohammed Buhari (who was then
President-elect), will reduce the fuel pump price from N87 to N40 per litre.
Buhari did not debunk this statement made by his friend and major supporter.
Also, when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government of
Dr Goodluck Jonathan reduced the petrol pump price from N97 to N87 per litre in
January 2015, former Lagos State Governor who is now Minister of Works, Power
and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola said N10 reduction of the petrol pump price
was too low and that Nigerians will get a better deal under Buhari. Fashola
tweeted on January 18, 2015; “On PMS price reduction by N10. Now they listen.
Oil the raw material drop over 50%, N10 is just about 10%. Good try but Nija
can get a beta deal.”
In rewarding Nigerians for electing him as president,
President Buhari opted to increase petrol pump price by N58.50.
The first justification of the increment was removal of
subsidy. But Nigerians were later stunned when the Vice President, Prof Yemi
Osinbajo said pump price of petrol was increased because Nigeria was broke.
In other words, President Buhari increased petrol pump price
because the country was broke and it needed to shore up its revenue base. The
N58.50 added to the previous pump price of N86.50 was an Indirect Tax imposed
on each litre of petrol purchased by Nigerians.
Simply put, the Federal Government is indirectly collecting
N58.50 naira tax from suffering Nigerians on each litre of petrol they buy.
Buhari is no doubt acting like the proverbial Agbalowomeri Baale Jontolo (A
king that exploit his extremely poor subject to further enrich himself).
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.
In 2012 when the Dr Jonathan removed fuel subsidy and
increased petrol price to N141 per litre, crude oil was selling at $111 per
barrel.
If not wickedness, how can petrol price be increased to N145
per litre when crude oil is now selling at $49 per barrel?
Increasing petrol pump price by N58.50 when the federal
government claimed it was subsidising the product at N12.62 per litre is clear
wickedness on the part of President Buhari.
In the history of Nigeria, increase in price of petrol has
never been as high as it was done by Buhari, putting Nigerians in severe
hardship as the product affects every sector of the economy.
Too bad, those who opposed removal of fuel subsidy in 2012
and funded the Occupy Nigeria protest are the ones canvassing support for this
Buhari’s wicked one year anniversary gift to Nigerians.
The labour unions are now completely cowed, dashing
completely hope of the common people of Nigeria.
Interestingly, this is not the first election promise by
APC/Buhari that have been jettisoned since they got into office. The N5,000
unemployment benefits promised the downtrodden was derisively put down by this
President as "largesse" with the president spurning the emotional
plea of his own wife to the contrary. To add salt and insult unto injury, he
travelled abroad to make the statement.
Despite the mindless and indefensible hike in fuel price,
the commodity is still not available. Minister of state for Petroleum says
there is no forex to pay for fuel import; yet there is forex to indulge
Buhari's foreign-trip profligacy.
Presidential spin doctors and APC chieftains labouring to
hoodwink the people speak glibly of how so-called deregulation will make
products available, reduce cost through competition and the interplay of market
forces as well as encourage private sector to build more refineries. But thank
God who loves Nigerians so much, the lies of these people was by divine
arrangement, I suppose, revealed by no less a person than the junior minister
Ibe Kachikwu himself when he said importation of fuel continues till 2019.
Nigerians should be reminded that the manner of hardship
being faced now was also faced during Buhari’s first coming as a military
dictator when people had to queue for essential commodities. Now, Nigerians
can’t even afford common tomato to prepare soup.
So Nigerians you have heard the truth: Under Buhari/APC, it
is almost certain that our suffering will continue till 2019.
Nigerians, remember I warned you before Buhari was elected;
I have been warning you since Buhari became president and I am warning now that
if nothing is done urgently, the economy of Nigeria will collapse.
May the good Lord help us but as they say "heaven helps
those who help themselves".
* Ayodele Fayose is Governor,
Ekiti State
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