Despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), reiterating that it has no plan of increasing the price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) during the festive season, Governor Ayodele Fayose is speculating that the Federal Government is hoarding petroleum products in order to increase pump price from N145 to N185 per litre. Yet this is not the worse conspiracy theory to hit the Nation in its trying times.
In a Statement signed by his Media aide, Lere Olayinka, Fayose said the Government is insensitive to the plight of Nigerians, hence the decision to make the product scare during the holidays.
“Allowing fuel scarcity to persist for over two weeks when Nigerians are preparing to celebrate Christmas and New Year is the height of wickedness on the part of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government.
“Funny enough, instead of directing its anger to President Muhammadu Buhari, who is the Minister of Petroleum, on December 7, 2017, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) choose to give the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr Ibe Kachikwu seven days ultimatum to end the fuel scarcity.”
Fayose further alleged that the Government deliberately reduced the supply of petroleum products because NNPC is the only one importing it to the Country.
He stated that by the time the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) goes on strike as its threatening, the whole Country will be shut down and he wondered what will become of Nigerians with desire to move around during the festive season.
He also asserted Nigerians will resist any attempt to further impoverish them by increasing the pump price of petrol.
NNPC had earlier announced that it has no plan to hike fuel price, urging the public to dispel rumours of an impending product increase.
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachukwu, also explained last week, that fuel queue at filling stations is a result of shortage of supply to the Country, but NNPC has enough in its reserve to combat the crisis.
He iterated that Nigerians should avoid panic buying, as distribution will reach all parts of the Country soonest.
The President General of the Igbo organization, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, John Nwodo’s opinion on the issue, however, trumps Fayose’s pessimism as Mr. Nwodo shocked many by claiming the scarcity was deliberately created to frustrate Igbos.
“They know that at this period in the year Ndigbo travel a lot to their homeland, that’s when the government chose to close our airport, that’s when they allow fuel shortage to take place, this is very unfair and insensitive”
“It’s a deliberate policy of impoverishing our people to ensure that whatever wealth our sons and daughters bring home during Christmas is expended on the obvious effect of fuel shortage and none for investment.”
In 2012, while President Jonathan, a Christian from the South, was still in power, Sallah celebrations were almost completely marred by fuel scarcity. There were no accusations or conspiracy theory.
