The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to reduce the pump cost of price of petrol from current price of N125 to N90 per litre.
It would be recalled that through the minister of state for petroleum resources, Mr. Timipre Silva, the federal government announced the reduction of the pump price from N145 to N125 per litre.
But in a statement by the party’s national publicity secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja yesterday, the PDP contended that with the fall in the price of crude oil in the international market to below $30 per barrel, the appropriate domestic price for petrol should be between N80 and N90 per litre.
He therefore advised government to immediately implement such a cost template to ease the economic burden on Nigerians and further serve as palliative for the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
The party said any further delay in price reduction would amount to fleecing the Nigerians who need the federal government’s support at this difficult time.
“Our party maintains that any further delay in the reduction of fuel price amounts to fleecing of Nigerians at a time government should rather concentrate on efforts that will immediately ease the burden and enable our citizens to battle health and economic concerns worsened by the coronavirus disease.
“The party therefore urged agencies of government, particularly the Central Bank of Nigeria, to be wary of attempts by some All Progressives Congress (APC) leaders to hijack fiscal procedures and push hazy financial theories that will end up diverting public resources into their hands; away from the poor Nigerians in the informal sector who are in dire need of social remedies due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Ologbondiyan.
It urged the central bank of Nigeria (CBN) to be wary of the attempt by the national leader of the APC, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to hide under social palliatives for the COVID-19 impact already advocated by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians, to covertly sell a parochial pecuniary agenda of APC leaders and the cabal.
“The PDP therefore urges the CBN to hedge its system from APC leaders and immediately develop strategies that will enable it to directly reach the poor masses in the informal sector for disbursement of fiscal palliative to cushion the effect of the COVID-19.
“The PDP alerts that Senator Tinubu’s sudden and unsolicited interest in palliative funds, without proffering instruments that will guarantee direct disbursement to the poor masses and check diversions, raises serious issues of ostensible attempt to prey on our national economy at this critical time.
“It indeed speaks volumes that while the PDP and other patriotic Nigerians and organizations have been rallying for solution, the APC has not made any meaningful suggestion for solution.
“Rather, its leaders are busy seeking to use the unfortunate situation to further plunder our national economy,” he said.
The party suggested the use of Bank Verification Number (BVN) data in various banks in addition to other social welfare programmes that would directly reach the unemployed and the elderly.
“The CBN should explore ways of routing the intervention to the people using their Bank Verification Number (BVN) data in various banks in addition to other social welfare programmes that would directly reach the unemployed and the elderly.
“The PDP further urges the federal government to immediately develop an emergency subsidy instrument that will lead to drastic cut in the cost of food and other essential household commodities that had sharply risen due to the COVID-19 pandemic
“In addition to our earlier demand for a review of all tax regimes, particularly the Value Added Tax (VAT), the PDP also asks the federal government not only to suspend all personal income taxes but also refund such taxes collected in the last two months as further palliatives to citizens,” the PDP added.
