The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the failure of the Federal Government to find solution to the lingering fuel crisis in the country is weakening the economy.
The party also condemned the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu over his proposals to allow market forces to determine the price of the petroleum products, saying such amounts to trading away the nation’s resources to other interests.
In a statement yesterday by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP expressed displeasure at the refusal of President Muhammadu Buhari to resign as Minister of Petroleum and allow competent hands to effectively manage the nation’s oil sector.
The party noted that the All Progressives Congress (APC)- led Federal Government had on December 6 last year promised to end the fuel scarcity within one week.
“It is now clear to all that President Muhammadu Buhari- led APC government is bent at wrecking the nation. Instead of abating, the situation is getting worse under the APC administration….
“What is more frightening is the atrocious proposals by the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, which amounts to trading away the nation’s resources to the mercy and vagaries of international interests through questionable subsidy plans that is completely against national interest,” the statement said.
PDP recalled that the minister had denied that there were plans to increase the price of fuel but is now plotting an indirect hike through price modulation plan “where NNPC will be allowed to continue to sell at N145 per litre in its few mega stations across the country while the independent marketers should be allowed to sell at whatever price is profitable to them.”