The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday blamed President Muhammadu Buhari who also doubles as Minister of Petroleum Resources and Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu for the recurring fuel crisis currently experienced in the country.
The opposition party in a statement on Friday signed by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbodiyan, said Nigerians are languishing under the president’s rule because the scarcity has led to increase in transport fare, household costs, prices of food, medicines and other basic needs of the people.
In the statement, the party said, ”it is not enough for the President to sit in his comfort zone and put the blame of the fuel scarcity at the doorsteps of marketers.”
“The unbearable fuel situation in the country is completely unacceptable. Mr. President must become up and doing. He should not allow anybody to push him to claim that the issue of fuel scarcity is not under the purview of the Minister of Petroleum Resources. When he took office as President of Nigeria and also as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, he was aware that the buck stops at his table.
“Nigerians must not be made to suffer especially at this time of the year when we have the Yuletide and New Year festivities, which come with a lot of activities.
“This is the same APC government that promised that it will make fuel available and affordable. Today, under their deceitful and corrupt watch, fuel has not only become extremely scarce, the price has also risen from where the PDP left it at N86.50k per liter to as high as N300 per liter and above.”
The party said the time for the president to act was now rather than buck trading adding that the president had failed Nigerians.
“But should Nigerians be subjected to this type of anguish and pain after supporting APC to win election in 2015? Does APC indeed deserve another support in 2019?”
“Whereas we know that the time is already up for the APC, we nevertheless urge Mr. President to, within the remaining short time, rise up to his responsibilities as the minister of petroleum or immediately relinquish that position and allow a competent person to run the ministry. Enough is enough”, the party said.
The statement urged Nigerians not to despair but rekindle their hope in the future as the PDP is now repositioned to regain power in 2019 and return the nation to the path of good governance, social stability and economic growth, ”for which it is generally known.”
