Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the reduction of the price of fuel from N125 to N123.5 by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency ( PPPRA).
The PDP in a statement, said the reduction of the pump price of fuel by N1.50k was further display of alleged cruelty and insensitivity by the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to the plight of Nigerians.
It insisted that owing to the slump in the price of crude oil in the international market, fuel should be sold for N90 per liter and challenged the Federal Government and the ruling party to explain how they arrived at N123.5.
The party further challenged government to publish “the full prevailing landing cost, the prevailing 3% depot cost, the 3% trucking cost as well as the retail outlet admin cost and show why the pump price should be above N90 per liter.”
“It is indeed smacks of heartlessness that the APC, its leaders and cronies in government circle are rather manipulating fuel costs at this critical time when other governments across the world are seeking ways to mitigate the economic hardship being faced by their citizens.
“Our party maintains that since Nigerians earlier had to bear the brunt of high cost of fuel in the face of high oil prices in the international market, it is only fair that they also enjoy the benefits of the cut in international prices; an advantage the APC had continued to deny them.
“The PDP invites Nigerians to note how the APC and its leaders had remained silent and failed to support the demand for reduction of fuel price; a development that only points to apparent complicity in this sleazy scheme against our citizens. The PDP, therefore, charges the APC and its administration to immediately reduce the pump price to the appropriate price of N90 as well as refund the accruable, so far, from the N35 per liter difference and channel same to provision of palliatives to Nigerians.