PDP asks Nigerians to reject ‘plot’ to hike pump price

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has asked Nigerians to reject any attempt by the federal government to hike the pump price of petrol.

There have been reports that the current administration is planning to increase the price of petrol but Ibe Kachikwu, minister of state for petroleum resources, has assured Nigerians that the price would remain at N145 per litre.

Kola Ologbodiyan, spokesman of the PDP, said any further increase in fuel price would be “inhuman and unacceptable”.

He added that hike in fuel pump price would be an indirect tax on Nigerians, thereby increase their suffering.

He called on government to come up with a clear explanation on “oil subsidy payment” under the administration and “illegal lifting of N1.1 trillion worth of crude using unregistered companies”.

He said in December, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo informed Nigerians that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) had been paying subsidy on fuel.

Ologbondiyan said the federal government was yet to tell Nigerians who the beneficiaries of the subsidy were, the amount involved and who authorised the payment.

“Any increase in fuel pump price would be an indirect tax on Nigerians to fund APC interests and, considering the pains Nigerians have suffered under this … government, this intended hike will be callous,” he said.

“It is now clear to all that this APC-controlled government will never act in the interest of Nigerians. All the actions and policies of APC, in their close to three years in office, have been targeted against Nigerians and there are no signals that they will change.

“We, therefore, urge Nigerians to reject this plot to raise the prices of petroleum products even as they gear towards using the next election to end the misrule of the APC.”