– Fayose continues to express anger over
removal of fuel subsidy
– Wants organised labour to protest against
policy
– Federal lawmaker pleads for patience
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti state,
southwestern Nigeria on Thursday called
President Muhammadu Buhari a hypocrite.
He also described the ruling All Progressives
Congress (APC) as an advanced fee fraud
practitioner for deceiving the country’s
citizens till it removed subsidy from premium
motor spirit, also known as petrol.
Fayose, like many other Nigerians has
remained angry since the Wednesday
announcement by Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu,
the country’s minister of state for petroleum.
The governor, seen as a major critic of the
president, released a second statement
stating that Buhari and his APC had
defrauded Nigerians by increasing the price
of petrol from N86.50 to N145 per litre.
Ayodele-Fayose angry with Buhari over fuel
subsidy removal.
Urging Nigerians to resist the new policy,
the governor added: “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.”
The governor urged labour unions, civil
society organisations and other well-meaning
Nigerians to stand up and be counted at this
crucial time in the life of the common
people of Nigeria.
“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,” Fayose added.
Speaking through an aide, Lere Olayinka, the
governor said: “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, through 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, 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?
“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 fulfill 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 life for
Nigerians, they have instead created hardship
by making prices of basic commodities to
skyrocket through their lack of policy
direction.”
A member of the House of Representatives,
Olajide Jimoh, however, disagreed with
Fayose, telling journalists on Thursday that
the new policy is the best solution to
constant fuel scarcity in the country.
House of Representative member, Jide
Jimoh, urges for patience.
Jide who represents Mainland federal
constituency, stressed that the increment in
price of fuel is aimed at bringing lasting
enjoyment to the people and that as a result,
the current hardship should be seen as
temporary.
“I believe Nigerians will smile and there shall
be light at the end of the tunnel but Nigerians
must understand the situation that President
Buhari means good for the country.
“I just have to appeal to the people on this
issue of increment on petroleum price and
also to say that it is rather unfortunate and I
believe if that is going to bring the way
forward, we should just be patient.
“What is of necessity now is for all of us to
rationalise and be creative and at the end of
the day allow wisdom to prevail in this
circumstance.
“There are so many areas that could be
addressed such as the issue of transportation,
the federal government should ensure
provision of luxurious buses and rail lines.
“Meanwhile, Nigerians should not expect
things to happen in a day and I will urge them
not to compare Goodluck Jonathan
administration to this present one,” he said.
Naij.com had earlier reported that the
announced removal of subsidy on the
premium motor spirit on Wednesday, may
end up becoming a re-enactment of the
January 2012 #occupyNigeria, as some
agitated citizens have commenced a new
campaign to have it repeated against the
government of President Buhari.
With the removal of subsidy on the product,
the government fixed N145 as the maximum
amount to be charged per litre on petrol and
while some Nigerians are mobilising on
social media for mass protest, the Trade
Union Congress (TUC) thinks the fuel price
hike was a coup against organised labour.

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