A human rights group, Campaign for Democracy, (CD), has decried the current fuel scarcity in the country, calling on the Federal Government to ensure that the unfortunate development does not become a device, or stratagem, to increase the price of the product.
The rights group made the call on Friday, in an issued statement, titled: “Wake-Up Call To Every Nigerians”, signed by its General Secretary, Reverend Ifeanyi Odili, copy of which was made available to newsmen, saying the call became imperative as the fuel scarcity coincided with the Federal Government’s plan to increase pump prices, which was aborted recently, following pubic outcry.
It said with the ongoing development, it was becoming very obvious that the Muhammadu Buhari- led administration wanted to intimidate and frustrate Nigerians to accept whatever it would pronounce as fuel price.
The group, while insisting that the reason behind the current artificial fuel scarcity was one of the Federal Government’s schemes to achieve price hike, which it could not achieve recently, wondered why and how could the government import diluted fuel that was injurious to human health to the country and none of the culprits had been apprehended and made to answer questions up till this moment.
CD dismissed the excuse that injurious fuel imported into the country brought about the scarcity of the product, saying it “is a mere subterfuge to increase the fuel price through the back door since it was rejected at the first time the FG wanted to increase the pump price”.
The group critically frowned at President Buhari, who it said: “doubled as the petroleum minister, for abandoning his primary responsibilities in his country, whereof he swore to an oath to protect and provide basic necessities of life, to travel abroad for medical attention even in the face of acute fuel scarcity”.
“It is sad that after 61 years of our independence, and with all the change mantra of the ruling APC, PMB still travels abroad for health issues. This is a manifestation of a nation in a deep mess. If we are not careful, Nigeria will become irredeemable.
“Nigerians have been taken for a ride for too long, ridiculed, insulted, dealt with fatal blows by our wicked leaders. Nigeria’s ship is coasting towards doom in the hands of our leader,” it warned.
The CD, therefore, vowed to resist every attempt by the Federal Government to increase the pump price through any guise.
