The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has rejected the price increase of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), aka petrol.The newest price hikes, implemented by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company’s (NNPCL) Retail Management, range from N855 to N897 per litre, depending on the location, from the previous N568-N617.Independent marketers have adjusted their prices to between N930 and N1,200 per litre of petrol.
The price hike has had a widespread impact, with some Nigerians resorting to long-distance trekking and others missing work due to the higher transportation costs
.In a statement on Thursday, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, National Coordinator of CNG, said an increase in fuel prices is “tantamount to creating artificial raises in prices of goods and services in the country.”
The CNG said: “We have credible reports indicating that in some states, fuel prices have already surged to an outrageous ₦1,400 per liter. This is unacceptable and a direct assault on the economic wellbeing of the masses, who are already grappling with soaring inflation, unemployment, and pervasive insecurity.This price hike is devoid of any democratic consideration and reflects a disconnect between the government and the people.
“Democracy, ideally, is supposed to be, in practice, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. However, this policy of constant-fuel-price-raise is clearly anti-people and anti-democratic that spells doom for the administration and the remnant of any goodwill. If the government truly believes in the principles of democracy, it must urgently reconsider this policy and take immediate steps to retract to avert further suffering of the masses.
“Undoubtedly, data from the government-owned National Bureau of Statistics and other authoritative organizations such as Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Bank and African Development Bank have confirmed that millions of Nigerians are deeply entangled in poverty and food insecurity which portend dire consequences for the country.
“Hence, this latest stretching of Nigerians credulity will most certainly accentuate further breeding of multidimensional poverty and hunger which would not augur well for the country and the administration.“Therefore, we call on President Tinubu to listen to the voices of the people who elected him, to prioritize their welfare, and to demonstrate that his administration is one that cares for the common man.“The CNG cautions that accountability, transparency, and evidence-based policies must not be jettisoned to be upheld as democratic values upon which our democracy should thrive better.”
