The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday charged the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its government to perish any thoughts of further increase of fuel price in the country.
The PDP said that it has been made aware of discussions and consultation in the APC and its administration for further increase of fuel price from the unbearable N170 to a higher figure.
The PDP in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan said, “Our party cautions the APC to immediately perish such contemplations as it would amount to pushing the already impoverished Nigerians to the wall – a situation that might result in public restiveness and acerbation of agitations in the land.”
The party lamented that Nigerians are groaning heavily under the weight of economic hardship and high costs occasioned by the unjustified increase in the price of fuel to an unbearable N170 per liter last November, adding that any new hike might become the last straw that can break the camel’s back.
According to the main opposition party, this is because there is no way Nigerians can survive a further fuel price increase with its attendant increase in cost of goods and services, which will worsen the current agonising economic situation, where over 90 million citizen live in abject poverty, with an alarming 23 per cent unemployment rate and many more living below N500 a day.
The PDP restated that the APC and its administration have no justification ever to increase fuel prices to even above N100 per litre, when there are practical options available to maintain affordable price template, given the national production capacity and potentialities.
The party condemned the bizarre attempt by the APC administration to compare the domestic fuel price to those of other countries where their governments are sincere and working hard in running productive economies that boost purchasing power of citizens.
“With an official N30,000 federal monthly minimum wage, which represents a N1,000 daily wage, compared to a country like Saudi Arabia with monthly 3,000 Riyals; a daily 100 Riyals (N10,161) there is no foundation to base fuel price in Nigeria to that of Saudi Arabia where citizens earn 10 times higher than their counterparts in Nigeria.
“It is therefore clear that the sordid increases in fuel price in Nigeria are products of nebulous indices coming from an incompetent and overtly corrupt APC administration under whose watch APC leaders had stolen over N15 trillion from our oil coffers and other national sources,” PDP declared.
