A
leader of the caucus of the APC has revealed why the leaders of the
party including Buhari who were in the opposition in 2012, opposed the
removal of fuel subsidy by the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
APC candidate, Muhammadu Buhari during a Presidential campaign rally
Speaking on Monday while addressing the APC Zonal Women Summit in
Enugu, the spokesperson of the South East Caucus of the All Progressive
Congress (APC), Osita Okechukwu, said that leaders of the party who were
in the opposition in 2012, opposed the removal of fuel subsidy by the
Goodluck Jonathan administration because of the profligacy of that
administration.
It can be recalled that the leaders of the APC who were then in
different opposition parties, including the defunct Action Congress of
Nigeria, Congress for Progressives Congress, All Nigeria Peoples Party
and All Progressive Grand Alliance, protested the plan, and following
the protest that lasted some days, Jonathan was forced to reverse the
decision.
Okechukwu while commenting on last week’s decision by the federal
government to increase the pump price of fuel from N86.50k to N145 per
litre, said it was also common knowledge that in 2012, members and
leadership of the APC opposed the fuel price hike or removal of subsidy
because the actors in the Jonathan administration were extravagant.
He also said though President Muhammadu Buhari initially opposed
and campaigned against fuel subsidy removal, he changed his mind because
of the reality of the present time.
"The Fuel Price Hike is a painful and difficult decision. The
pain is that there is no official dollars to sustain the huge bill.
President Muhammadu Buhari took pains to accept the proposal he had
opposed as far back as his first stint as Head of State – 1984 – 1985.
"It is also common knowledge that in 2012, members and
leadership of our great party, the APC, opposed the fuel price hike or
removal of subsidy.
"In the same vein, Mr President opposed it even in his second
coming as president and campaigned repeatedly against it. True, we
rejected fuel price hike then, basically because of the profligacy of
the ex-regime. Hold us responsible if we squander money saved," he said.
Okechukwu called on the Nigeria Labour Congress and Trade Union
Congress not to go on strike to protest the increase in fuel price,
adding that the mass protest would not only hamper the distribution of
goods and services in the country but worsen the condition of the
masses.
The APC chieftain explained that the new pump price introduced has
the prospect of cutting down waste in the nearest future and also to
make fuel available.
"My Dear Compatriots, you must agree with me that what made Mr.
President to accept fuel price hike in the midst of abject poverty in
the land, despair and despondency; is nothing but the crunchy and dire
financial situation – where it is difficult for local, state and federal
governments to pay salaries.
"We all know that this is a president who never placed personal
gains over public good and who will never squander our commonwealth.
The true position is that the dwindling oil price and recent militant
attack on oil installations have gravely rendered Federal Government
cash strapped.
"Nigeria is at cross-road. Coupled with what the former
Minister of Finance and Coordinator of the Economy, Dr Ngozi
Okonjo-Iweala dubbed lack of political will to save for the rainy day by
the (Goodluck) Jonathan regime, which in simplicita means that we are
paying for the sins of crass failure to plan and squandermania of the
regime she coordinated," he said
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