Anger is sweeping across the country over the recent hike in the cost of some of the basic needs in the country: petrol price shot up Tuesday from N148 per litre to N151.56; the postponed hike in electricity Tariffs took off on Tuesday.

Among those leading the pack of those opposed to the hikes are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

But the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has described as shameless the PDP reaction to the current petrol price and electricity tariff in the country. 

The PDP rejected the fresh increase in the price of fuel to N151 per liter and electricity tariff to N66 per kwh under the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its government, describing such as callous, cruel and punishing.

The party demanded an immediate reversal of the prices to avert a national crisis, as the increase will result in upsurge in costs of goods and services and worsen the biting hardship being faced by Nigerians, who are already impoverished and overburdened by APC-imposed high cost of living in the last five years.

PDP asserts that by increasing the price of fuel from the N87 per litre it sold under the PDP to an excruciating N151 while at the same time allowing the hike in electricity tariff from N30.23 per kwh to over N66, the APC has left no one in doubt that its agenda is to inflict pain and hardship on Nigerians to satisfy their selfish interests.

However, the APC said that for successive PDP governments that foisted on the country a corruption-tainted fuel subsidy regime, it should surprise itself and Nigerians by cajoling its cronies who ran the subsidy rackets — many of them in hiding abroad — to return the country’s stolen commonwealth in their possession. 

Said its spokesman, Mr. Yekini Nabena, “Under the President Muhammadu Buhari administration. The tortuous fuel queues as a result of biting scarcities are gone. The reviewed petroleum products pricing template has resulted in a more transparent, efficient and realistic pricing system for petroleum products and also resulted in constant availability of fuel nationwide.

“The pricing template now reflects competitive and market driven components which is supported by the citizenry. 

“In an effort by this administration to put an end to estimated and arbitrary billing for electricity, President Buhari recently directed a nationwide mass metering programme for electricity consumers in the country. 

“For the PDP that is only concerned with pushing the interests of its few cronies over the general interest and welfare of the citizenry, we dont expect the PDP to grasp the import of this landmark presidential directive which aside improving electricity and service delivery, is also protecting the poor and vulnerable Nigerians from increased electricity tariff and arbitrary/estimated billings.

“Commendably, the federal government is already working to ensure that Electricity Distribution Companies (DISCOs) commit to increasing the number of hours of electricity supply every day and also improve on their quality of service.

“Perhaps the PDP is also unaware that the current administration has approved a one-year waiver of import levy on electricity meters, so that Nigerians who do not have meters can be supplied as early as possible at a reasonable cost.

“The APC calls on the PDP to wake up to the new Nigeria where the government works for the citizens not a few interests.”

The PDP’s, in its reaction to the increase in tariffs and petrol price by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan said, “The unjustifiable increase in the price of these essential supplies, coming barely a week after the APC brazenly posted a support for fuel price hike, while attempting to rationalize the excruciating hardship being suffered by Nigerians under the Buhari administration, has further confirmed that the APC is at the center of the harsh policies of the Buhari Presidency.

“It is distressing that the APC administration increased the cost of essential commodities at the time the leadership of other countries are offering palliatives to their citizens to cushion the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. It is instructive to add that our nation is doomed under the APC watch.

“We know that the APC is an unfeeling party but it is indeed shocking that it could go to the extent of approving such a hike at this trying time, when many Nigerians are struggling to afford staple foods and other necessities of life.

“Our party challenges the APC and the Buhari administration to publish the parameters with which it arrived at the increase of fuel price to N151 per liter given that with the prevailing values in the international market, the appropriate price template for domestic pump price in Nigeria ought not to be above N100 per liter.

“Our party further challenges the APC-led Federal Government to publish details of its sleazy and over-bloated oil subsidy regime, including the involvement of APC interests in the claimed under-recovery for unnamed West African countries, running into trillions of naira, while Nigerians are made to bear the burden of high fuel costs.

“Moreover, the APC and its government have failed to allow an open investigation into allegations of fuel price overcharge as well as the fraudulent subsidy regime through which over N14 trillion had allegedly been frittered by unscrupulous individuals in the APC.

“Our fear is that the APC is pushing Nigerians to the wall with its obnoxious and anti-people proclivities and we caution that nobody should misinterpret the peaceful and law-abiding nature of Nigerians as a sign of weakness.

“Our party therefore restates our call on the National Assembly to save the nation by calling the APC and its administration to order before they plunge our nation into chaos.”

Everyday

By Luka Binniyat, National Public Relations Officer

The Central Executive Committee (CEC) of the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), over the weekend met with the Commander, Operation Safe Haven,  Major General Chukwuwemeka Okonkwo  and some top  members of his command in Jos. This was based on his invitation, as he had earlier met with leaders of Hausa and Fulani communities in Southern Kaduna. SOKAPU took time to brief the General on the nature of the violence in Southern Kaduna and assured  him of our desire to see the end of the violence.  He also told us what he was doing to return normalcy to Southern Kaduna and assured us of his neutrality in the crisis.

 We told him that contrary to ongoing narratives, “Southern Kaduna” is not the same as “Kaduna South Senatorial Zone”. While the latter is made up of only eight  LGAs in the enclave, Southern Kaduna is made up of 12 LGAs and holds 51.2% of the population of Kaduna state, based on the  2006 census population figures.  And that out of 46,000 Sq km, Southern Kaduna covers 26,000sqkm and has 57 registered ethnic nationalities with us, out of the 67 identified ones.

On the nature of the violence, we debunked the ongoing narratives that “the crisis has a long history.”   We told him that past crises were largely urban based, and looked unplanned, but triggered by identified reasons and that it could take years before reoccurrence. We added that previous violence was always between Muslims and Christians of any state of origin within affected areas. But the current one looks preplanned, daily, with our rural communities as the targets of mass slaughter, destruction, and ejection by the invaders, who eventually take over some of the communities.  We told him that 109 communities have been “captured” by Fulani militia. We insisted that there is an agenda to force us out of our lands and be occupied by the invaders.

SOKAPU assured the OPSH commander that with no other alternative place or land to fall back to, Southern Kaduna indigenes are much more desirous of peace than any other party.

We also used the opportunity to thank him for the recent fast response rate of his troops to distress calls from communities under attack or the threat of attacks, unlike in the past.

We also noted his humanitarian assistance to all parties in Southern Kaduna as exceptional.

Again, we showed appreciation with his deployment of large numbers of troops to  Zangan District, in Atakad Chiefdom, Kaura LGA which eight communities  had been totally displaced since last year  and occupied by armed herdsmen. We acknowledged reports reaching us that the villagers have started returning and many of them, who can afford it, are rebuilding their homes.

Based on the above, we requested that other displaced  communities in 4 LGAs of Southern Kaduna should also be assisted to return home.  We then gave him a list of the remaining occupied villages in our report and called for urgent actions to retrieve the occupied lands and bring culprits to justice.

On his part, he promised to be a neutral party in the crisis. He said he was equally desirous to see that peace and safety returns to Southern Kaduna as the violence was bearing its brunt on the image of the country and posed an avoidable stress to his troops and resources.

On this note, SOKAPU wishes to thank the Federal government for the redeployment of more troops to the troubled areas of Southern Kaduna.

With this,  thousands who may wish to return home cannot. Because their homes have been completely ruined. Also, hundreds of Hectares farmlands of affected communities have been ravaged by cattle on the loose. We also have thousands living under subhuman conditions in various IDPs or at homes of relations. We are therefore calling for assistance from the government, NGOs and  good spirited individuals for building materials, food, medicine and any form of aid that will improve the situation of the victims.

On this note,  we are  calling on all our members at home to give maximum cooperation to men and officers of Operation Safe Haven.

Again, we want to appeal to our youths not to initiate any act that will be interpreted as violent to anyone trespassing on any farmland, but report such incidence to community leaders, the police or any nearby military formation of Operation Safe Haven.   

Any action that will be inimical to the good image of our area and to the peace and wellbeing of all residents of Southern Kaduna must be shun by our people, but we  must not compromise our rights to self-preservation within the law.

As indigenous owners of Southern Kaduna, SOKAPU  endorses all peaceful, fair and sustainable means of restoring normalcy to our troubled mother land and we urge our members to do the same.

Everyday

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has directed its members in the Southwest region of the country to begin sales of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly referred to as petrol at N162 per litre.

The southwest Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Alhaji ‘Dele Tajudeen in a telephone chat with journalists in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, said his members would be left with no other option than to dispense the product at a price of N162.

Tajudeen said, the directive followed the increase in the deport loading price of the product by the federal government, which placed a new price regime of the product at N151. 56k.

He explained that since the federal government has decided and puts the price of the product at N151. 56k, IPMAN has no option than to sell at N162 to be able to meet up with the overhead cost.

Tajudeen said IPMAN members would have to make provision for the cost of diesel to run generator that will power the dispensing machines; pay the cost of transporting the fuel from the depot to their respective filling stations and also settle their statutory levies with the appropriate regulatory agencies.

That by the time they finish paying all these levies, the cost of discharging fuel at the petroleum filling stations would have shored up to N160, hence dispensing the product at N162 will enable IPMAN members to be able to pay the staff bills and the stations’ gains.

By Udeme Akpan

The price of petrol has been increased to N151.56 per litre, according to Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

In a statement obtained by Vanguard, D.O Abalaka of the PPMC, stated: “Please be informed that a new product price adjustment has been effected on our payment platform.

“To this end, the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is now one hundred and fifty-one naira, fifty-six kobo (N151.56k) per litre.” He added: “This takes effect from September 2, 2020.”

Vanguard News Nigeria