"End Fuel Scarcity or Face Mass Protest," Coalition Tells Buhari
- Nigerians have been queuing up across the country to buy fuel in the last few weeks, leading to lamentations by citizens
- The current fuel scarcity has been a trending topic in past weeks, even as government insists petroleum products are available
- Some groups have vowed to organise mass protests if the situation is not addressed by the authorities
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FCT, Abuja - A coalition of Civil Society Organisations operating under the aegis of Civil Society Coalition for Economic Well-being and Good Governance on Thursday, January 26, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to end fuel scarcity in the country or face mass protests.
Addressing journalists including a Legit.ng reporter in Abuja, leaders of the coalition, Garba Danjuma Danzi, chairman and Dr Ayodele Simon Hughes, secretary-general, decried the difficulties faced by Nigerians over the lingering fuel scarcity across the country.
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They accused the Nigeria National Petroleum Limited (NNPL) for being responsible for the scarcity and called for the sack of the group managing director of NNPL, Mele Abba Kyari and the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva, within 72 hours.
According to them, both officials have failed in their statutory responsibilities, thus, leading to untold hardship on Nigerians.
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The groups further called on President Muhammadu Buhari to disband the recently constituted steering committee which he chairs, arguing that the Nigerian leader's involvement with his political party's electioneering campaign will be a distraction.
The coalition said;
“The NNPL is sole importer of fuel into the country and as privilege officials serving in President Buhari administration, the duo of Kyari and Sylva have not made deliberate efforts to tackle the endless embarrassing fuel scarcity in the country.
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“Consumers are being exploited by the retailers as most filling stations have adjusted their meters to black market prices.
“The regulatory body - Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority is called upon to ensure strict observance of government approved depot and retail prices.”
The groups urged the federal government to constitute a taskforce made up of security and paramilitary agents to patrol the nation’s borders to stop the smuggling of fuel out of Nigeria.
Nigerians groan as fuel scarcity bites harder nationwide
Meanwhile, Premium Times reports that Nigerians have continued to lament the hardship caused by the scarcity of petroleum products across the country.
According to the report, businesses and households that depend on generators for power supply have been affected by the situation.
Also, commuters continue to lament the ripple effects of the scarcity as a result of skyrocketed transport fares in major cities.
Pump price of petrol increases amid biting scarcity
As reported in an earlier article by Legit.ng, the pump price of petrol has been hiked to about N350 per litre in some filling stations in Lagos and up to N500 per litre in many cities across the country.
The skyrocketed price of petrol has forced transporters to also hike transport fares, thereby heightening the frustrations of commuters who need to get to their offices and place of businesses from their homes daily.
Government, petroleum markets and other stakeholders recently claimed they be finding lasting solutions to the fuel scarcity.
President Buhari steps in for a lasting solution to fuel scarcity
Meanwhile, in an effort to put an end to the biting fuel scarcity across Nigeria, President Buhari recently approved a 14-man steering committee.
The committee will oversee the fluid supply of petroleum products and ensure compliance with official prices.
As the nation's minister of petroleum, President Buhari will chair the committee while Sylva will function as the alternate chairman.
Source: Legit.ng
