By Tina Amanda
As the hike in Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) continues to affect Nigerians, Human Rights Advocate, Courage Nsirimvo, has called for the immediate reversal of the fuel pump price, citing the severe hardship it has inflicted on an already struggling population.
Nsirimvo, the Coordinator of Pilex Centre, a pro-people organization, condemned the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for the recent upward review of PMS prices from N591 to N897 per liter. He criticized the government for failing to fulfill its agreement with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), which had sought to cushion the impact of fuel price hikes on citizens.
He further lamented that the indiscriminate increase in fuel prices has pushed more households into poverty and contributed to the rising crime rate across the country.
Nsirimvo urged the government to take immediate action to reverse the hike and alleviate the growing economic strain on Nigerians.
“We state categorically, that the reckless, unilateral review and the sundry inconveniences orchestrated by the anti-people policies of the regime conceived to leave Nigerians cocooned in poverty is an audacious betrayal of trust and a default on the social contract between government and citizens.
“As a matter of fact, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has made it clear that the decision of Nigerian workers to yield to the offer of N70,000 as the minimum wage was squarely predicated upon assurances by the government that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) would be stable.
“We also recall that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu issued an ultimatum to labor unions to choose between N250,000 minimum wage with fuel prices dangling between N1,500 and N2,000/liter or N70,000 minimum wage with fuel price remaining at the old PMS rate.
“Barely a month or two, the government has reneged on its own part of the bargain, throwing more households into poverty and increasing crime rates in our society.
Nigerians are at a loss as to why fuel price jumped from N591 at NNPCL filling stations to 897/litre when SHIPPING COST/ TARIFF COST and other costs that come with importation have been excluded” he said.
The human rights advocate further accused Dangote, FG, NNPC of using the fuel price hike as a ploy to create the impression that importation of fuel is better than local production.
“Pilex Centre views the move by NNPCL and the Federal Government as a reverse psychology to make the people feel that importation is way more affordable than local production.
“However, the people of Nigeria will not buy such an exploitative narrative. It is our thought that the compromise was made between Dangote, NNPCL, and FGN in expectation of negotiation that will end at a price above the N591 initial price, except the Federal Government came out clean to say that there was a subsidy when NNPCL sold at N591”.
He however demand for accountability from DANGOTE, NNPC, FG as to the actual cost of production of PMS, bearing in mind that NNPCL was selling same product at N591/litre.
“Given the fragile atmosphere at the moment and the gloom of apprehension it holds for Nigeria, we call on NNPC and the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quickly rethink their decision and urgently reverse the hike in PMS pump price so that the country and her poor people can concentrate on readjusting and developing muscles to absorb the rude shocks of hardship arising from the multi-dimensional poverty the government has built as an enduring legacy.
“Pilex Centre believes that honest communication could avert the anger of the people of Nigeria who expect a fall in the Price of PMS with the launch of the Dangote production.
“We demand the immediate reversal of the price of PMS to reflect the gains of local production”.
