Former Vice President ,Atiku Abubakar
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that the government of its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has worked out a pricing template that will immediately crash the pump price of fuel in the country if elected President in 2019.
The PDP said besides reduction in pump price, Atiku government would ensure transparency in the oil industry to weed out sleazy dealers and cheats.
It accused President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration of insensitivity by failing to do the needful in the last three years, to wit: ensure openness in the oil sector.
In a statement on Thursday by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP described the increase in pump price of fuel and kerosene as insensitive and anti-people.
According to the PDP, the hike has brought more economic pressure on an already impoverished nation, stressing that most businesses and homes across the country heavily depend on these products for sustenance.
The PDP said results of its engagements have shown that the appropriate pump price of fuel in the Nigerian market, under the current subsidy regime of the Buhari Presidency, should be within the borders of N87 to N90 per liter as against the N145 currently being charged.
The statement reads: “The PDP notes that for every N145 paid for a liter of fuel, the Presidency cabal diverts a hidden N58, which Nigerians have continued to pay since the fuel price was increased from N87 to presumably subsidized cost of N145.
“Apart from failing to account for the over N1.4 trillion allegedly siphoned through sleazy oil subsidy deals, the Buhari-led Federal Government is burdened to account for the over N3.49 trillion stolen under the hidden N58 per liter of fuel on over 50 million daily domestic consumption estimated in the last three years.
“The PDP notes that had the Buhari administration heed wise counsel to be transparent in its dealings in governance and to engage more experienced hands on petroleum issues, the nation would not have been in the dire straits we face today.
“The party however urges Nigerians not to despair as its Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has already worked out a blueprint that will end sleazes, ensure appropriate pricing template and free resources to guarantee availability of product on a national pricing regime”.
