*Commends President On Commitment to Free, Fair Elections…
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has berated President Muhammadu Buhari on his justification of the fuel price hike during his Independence anniversary speech even as it commended Buhari on his commitment to a free and fair election process in Nigeria.
The PDP described the President’s declaration as a huge slap on the sensibilities of Nigerians, urging him to wake up to reality and take “urgent steps that will address the divisive tendencies and poor economic policies of his administration, which are fast decimating our dear nation under his watch.”
In his anniversary speech, Buhari had made a comparison of petrol prices with other oil producing nations in Africa and the Middle East, alluding that Nigeria’s N161 pump price was one of the lowest in the world.
Buhari had said, “Petroleum prices in Nigeria are to be adjusted. We sell now at N161 per litre. A comparison with our neighbours will illustrate the point;
“Chad which is an oil producing country charges N362 per litre.Niger, also an oil producing country sells 1 litre at N346. In Ghana, another oil producing country, petroleum pump price is N326 per litre.
“Further afield, Egypt charges N211 per litre. Saudi Arabia charges N168 per litre. It makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi Arabia”.
But in a statement signed by Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, National Publicity Secretary of PDP, he said, “President Buhari’s attempt to justify the increase of fuel price in Nigeria by comparing it to the N168 per liter cost in Saudi Arabia is a morbid joke, noting that the minimum wage in Saudi Arabia is N305,113 (3000 Saudi Riyals), ten times higher than our paltry N30,000 which is largely unimplemented in Nigeria.
“Is Mr. President not aware that, on the average, a person working in Saudi Arabia earns around 4,230SAR (N430, 267) to 16,700 SAR (N1,698,693) per month?
“Our party charges Mr. President to always check his books before making such offensive comparisons including the price in Egypt where monthly average earning is around N222, 841 (9,200 EGP) against our N30,000.
“In comparing our costs with other countries such as Ghana, Chad and Niger where purchasing powers of citizens are much more higher, did Mr. President reflect on the cost of house rent, education, healthcare and average dependence on fuel for daily survival by ordinary citizens as obtainable in Nigeria?
“If the flawed assertions as evident in Mr. President’s speech are a direct reflection of how policies are formulated in his administration, then one needs not wonder why our economy is in doldrums.
“Indeed, it is imperative to state that if the Buhari administration had summoned the competence and honesty to continue the programs already laid by previous administrations under our party to revive our refineries and provide infrastructural backbone for our productive sector, fuel price will not be more than N100 per liter, in addition to the gains from by-product from crude oil.”
The party urged the President to allow more robust discourse that will lead to affordable prices for fuel and other essential commodities in our country.
PDP however commended Buhari for his commitment to a free and fair election by his non-interference in elections that led leading to a credible governorship election in Edo State on September 19. It urged the president Buhari to consolidate same by ensuring a free and fair election in the October 10 Ondo governorship poll.
The party demanded the overhauling of the security apparatus of the country by appointing new security chiefs as this would invariably reduce the increasing insecurities and killing of innocent people in the nation.
“Security is pivotal to our economic revival. The unceasing acts of insurgency, banditry and kidnapping in the last five years have wrecked our nation’s productivity and threatened her corporate existence.
“It is therefore worrisome that Mr. President’s speech did not address the call on him by Nigerians demanding that he rejigs his security architecture to inject new blood that will effectively confront our security challenges.
“Additionally, Mr. President should exert himself on rebuilding our economy by ending his borrowing spree and focusing on our productive capacity instead of his endless lamentation over his failures.
“Our party restates our belief in the potentials of our nation and urges Mr. President to seek help by engaging more competent hands to assist in handling the affairs of our nation, the party added.
