Skip to main content

Fuel price hike will increase hardship on Nigerians – Senate

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

Senate President, Bukola Saraki

The Chairman, Senate Committee on Media and Publicity, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, says that increasing fuel pump price beyond 145 Naira will translate to more hardship on Nigerians.

Abdullahi stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Monday, while reacting to the recommendations by former Group Managing Directors (GMDs) of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

The former GMDs had claimed that the current fuel price cap of N145 per litre of petrol was not in line with current economic realities and called for upward review of the price.

Abdullahi advised the Federal Government to ignore the recommendation, saying that it would not augur well for Nigerians who were already groaning under the yoke of hardship.

“Let me say that this is my personal opinion; I am not making this submission as spokesman of the senate.

“I read the newspaper report and I was disturbed, worried and I think for all intents and purposes, I’m very much disappointed.

“For crying out loud, all of these former GMDs, can they be said to be free of blame on how we got here?

“The refineries have not been working; the corporation itself has not been run transparently to the maximum benefit of Nigerian citizens.

“As far as I’m concerned, all of them that are speaking do not have the moral standpoint to even advise us on what to do because they had a hand in it.

“Maybe, they are sent to destroy this government. We will not allow them to do that because right now the President is grappling with inherited problems, which he is trying his best to change,” he said.

The lawmaker urged Nigerians to desist from offering advice that would add to the existing challenges facing the country.

He assured that the senate would re-visit the Petroleum Industry Governance Bill (PIGB) with a view to repositioning the petroleum industry which was a major source of revenue for the country.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Court grants Fani-Kayode N50m bail

Fani-kayode sandwiched by EFCC officials Justice James Tsoho of the Federal High Court Abuja on Thursday granted a N50m bail to former spokesman of the Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. Fani-Kayode was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a five-count charge of money laundering to the tune of N26m. Fani-Kayode is the sole defendant in the fresh charges numbered, FHC/ABJ/CR/140/2016. The EFCC accused the defendant of diverting 26 million Naira allegedly received from the ONSA while Sambo Dasuki was in office. The anti-graft agency also accused him of handling the said N26 million without going through financial institution as required under the Money Laundering Act. The embattled former minister is already facing 17-count charge of money laundering before the Lagos Division of the court, along with a former Finance Minister; Nenadi Usman, Danjuma Yusuf and a firm; Joint Trust Dimension Nigeria Limited. They were charg...

Pope not involved in Colombian peace deal- Vatican

Pope Francis Pope Francis has turned down a request to play a role in the peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebel group. The Vatican in a statement issued on Wednesday in in Vatican City said that an invitation was sent to his Holiness in early August to appoint a representative to participate in the committee that selected the judges for the talks. The statement said that though Pope Francis supported the peace process, he, however, reiterated that he would not get involved in Colombian peace deal. It said that Pope was praying for the enlightenment of the hearts and minds of those who were called to promote the common good of the Colombian nation. A deal was announced last week, putting an end to five decades of internal conflict between government forces and the FARC rebels. The agreement, which needed to be ratified through a referendum in Oct. 2, would entail setting up a special court to grant amnesties or pu...

Fall of Assad is a Blow to Russia's Prestige

The potential fall of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a long-standing ally of Russia, would mark a turning point in Moscow’s global influence, particularly in the Middle East. Steve Rosenberg’s analysis underscores the profound implications for Russia, which has invested heavily—both militarily and politically—in ensuring Assad’s survival over the past decade. This article delves into why Assad’s downfall would strike at the core of Russian prestige and what it could mean for the broader geopolitical landscape. Russia's Strategic Commitment to Syria Since the outbreak of the Syrian civil war in 2011, Russia has been a staunch supporter of Assad's regime. In 2015, Moscow launched a military intervention that proved decisive in stabilizing Assad’s hold on power. This intervention solidified Russia's role as a key power broker in the Middle East and demonstrated its willingness to project military power far beyond its borders. Syria is not just an ally for Russia; it is a...