Ohanaeze threatens civil unrest over petrol price hike
With the spate of increase in the price of petrol over the last couple of months, Ohanaeze have called the FG to avail a solution to ease the hardship being faced by Nigerians over the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or be prepared to deal with civil unrest across the nation.
Petrol was sold at N189/litre but skyrocketed to over N850/litre, just after President Tinubu during his inaugural speech on 29, May 2023 announced the scraping of fuel subsidy.
The decision was met with protest, as citizens said he was following in the steps of his predecessor, Buhari in causing hardship on Nigerians.
Fast forward, 17 months after he was sworn in, the dispute between IPMAN and NNPCL in relation to the exorbitant price at which NNPCL has been selling to marketers further hiked the price of petrol to N1100/litre at filling stations.
This decision also resulted in the scarcity of fuel at filling stations.
In view of this, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a the socio-cultural organization through their Factional Secretary General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro has sent a warning to the FG to address the economic challenges in the country by reason of the hike in petrol.
He said, “unilateral increases threaten to plunge the average Nigerian into an abyss of economic despair, especially as we approach the festive season, a time traditionally marked by joy and communal celebration”.
He further addressed those responsible for the hike, he stressed that, “the management teams and boards responsible for this abysmal state of affairs at NNPCL must be removed”.
“If immediate and decisive actions are not taken, specifically an extensive overhaul of the NNPCL from top to bottom, we risk devolving into a state of uncontainable civil unrest”, Isiguzoro said.
According to him, “the relentless price hikes not only threatens the livelihoods of many Nigerians but also undermines public confidence in presidential governance under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu”.
“We implore the Federal Government to act swiftly to overhaul a corrupt and inefficient system, as failing to do so could lead to devastating consequences not only for the government under President Tinubu but for all Nigerians whose dreams and dignity are intertwined with our collective socio-economic fabric.“We call upon all Nigerians, individuals, communities, and leaders to unite in advocating for urgent changes that will restore integrity, efficiency, and accountability to our national institutions”.
In order to tackle the issue of petrol in Nigeria and alleviate the suffering of the common man, he advice the FG to support local investors engaged in Compressed Natural Gas, CNG depots across zones of the country, stating that such action would profers solution to the fuel crisis ravaging the country. He also implore citizens to convert their vehicles and embrace CNG and electric alternatives.
