The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), has decried the recent hike in the pump price of fuel, saying the federal government is inflicting pain on the masses.
In a statement on Sunday by the National Publicity Secretary of the human rights group, Gerald O. Katchy, CDHR queried the rationale behind the upward review of the petrol pump price.
“A popular African adage says ‘when bird flys without perching, hunters shoots without aiming’ the gradual and yet constant inflict of pain on the populace by the government is unbecoming. Three times, in three months we have witnessed the Federal government increase the pump price of petrol in the name of deregulation.
“This is not deregulation, FOB statistics noted the price of metric ton of gasoline as at close of work yesterday,13th November 2020, can be placed at $410 per metric ton, when converted to Naria with the current exchange rate valued at #396/$1 it sums up to N121 per liter.
“So why is the Federal Government still retaining these consumption subsidies in a fully deregulated downstream oil and gas sector. The arithmetic of landing cost, including the criminal tariff by NIMASA, NPA and PPPRA also include Depot Operators Margin cannot exceed #142, fuel is not expected to sale for more than #150 why the increase?
The insensitivity in the implementation of these harsh economic decisions by the Government led to #EndSARS protest.
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to immediately reverse the increase as a stitch in time saves nine.
“We are already in fragile situation occasioned by the outcome of #EndSARS protest, wherein protesters, youth influencers, media houses are bullied, targeted, harrassed, persecuted, freeze account and gag/censorship of the social media. The Government should heed this clarion demand and stop toiling with it’s lifespan for you can not stifle that which gave birth to you.
“The ruling class must understand that her officials are not invisible nor untouchable as their arrogance has stir up profiling of the enemies of progress, abusers of rights, disobedience and disregards to rule of laws which threatens survival of democracy in Nigeria.
“CDHR calls for the Renationalise the oil and gas sector and place it under democratic control of Nigerian workers.”
