The Middle Belt Forum, Forum, MBF, has described the sudden increase in the pump price of petrol in Nigeria as criminal since there is no justification for the action.
The forum insisted that it was unacceptable to have such an increase within the first 50 days in the life of an administration without measures in place to provide effective and soothing palliatives for all Nigerians.
Reacting to Tuesday’s increase in the pump price of petrol from N537 per litre to N617 per litre, the National President of MBF, Dr Bitrus Pogu said Nigerians were suffering the effects of bad governance.
“All I can say is that this is becoming criminal. What justifies the increase, is it the devaluation and therefore equating the increase to the value of Dollar to Naira?
“Which government in this world, within its country will charge its citizens based on international standard and not on the local standards when the crude is here? We are all suffering the effects of bad governance.
“Criminals in governments refused to repair our refineries, to the extent that monies were spent and also given to some people to fix these refineries and they were deliberately left in their condition. Which government was responsible, the All Progressives Congress, APC, government. Who is imposing this on us, the APC government?
“It is unfortunate, and I think Nigerians need to wake up and tell the government that we do not want your palliative, we want a government of the people, by the people and for the people; not a government for the rich, by the rich and for the wealthy.”