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I didn’t wish Buhari dead, Fayose tells US envoy

By Tunde Opeseitan (Lagos) and Yaqoub Popoola (Edo Ekiti) 

Ekiti State governor, Ayo, Fayose, has said that at no time did he wish the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, dead.

Buhari Fayose

The governor, who stated this while playing host to a team of American diplomats who paid him a courtesy call on Saturday, said the so-called “death wish” advertorial placed on some newspapers, were misunderstood.

While many viewed the advertorial as inciting and offensive and could lead to breakdown of law and order, Fayose’s party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), distanced itself from the advert.

It stated that the advertorial neither represent the view of the party nor that of President Goodluck Jonathan.

The American delegation which visited Fayose in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, was led by the United States Consular General in Lagos, Jeffrey Hawkins.

Fayose said the state witnessed a peaceful poll last year during the governorship election, expressing confidence that the standard would not be lowered in the coming polls.

The governor, however, maintained that Jonathan would defeat the APC’s Buhari, as according to him, Nigeria is safe with him. Continue reading “I didn’t wish Buhari dead, Fayose tells US envoy”

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Poll postponement: APC, others seek UN, EU pressure on Jonathan

 

Posted 7 hrs, 55 mins ago | February 02, 2015 (7:33 am
Opposition parties, including the All Progressives Congress, are presently perfecting strategies to resist any attempt by the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Federal Government to shift the February general elections

Top on the game plan of the parties is to reach out to the international community to mount pressure on the President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration not to shift the elections.

Another option the parties are exploring is to approach the courts to seek an injunction that will stop anyone from delaying the polls though INEC had said it was not contemplating a postponement of the elections slated for February 14 and 28.

Already, the United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, had at a meeting with the presidential candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the APC last week, advised that the elections should hold as scheduled.

Kerry’s position was coming after the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.), had last week advised INEC to postpone the elections to allow more people to collect their Permanent Voter Cards.

Speaking with one of our correspondents, the APC confirmed that it was discussing with Western nations on the growing calls for election postponement in Nigeria.

The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed, said those pushing for the elections to be shifted were also seeking to instigate the National Youth Service Corps members who would serve as part of the ad-hoc staff for INEC during the polls to refuse to participate.

APC however vowed to resist any attempt by the ruling party to postpone the general elections.

Mohammed, who spoke in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents, in Abuja on Friday said the party would leave nothing to chance.

He said, “We are aware that they have plans that by next week, they will send people to start demonstrating, asking for the postponement of the February elections.

“I can assure you that we also have our counter measures. Our major strategy is to appeal to the international community that this man (President Jonathan) must not postpone the elections.

“All the arguments that the elections be postponed because of the PVC are not correct. It is not lack of collection and if the government is sincere, it should declare two or three days’ holiday for people to go and collect their PVCs.”

Similarly, the Executive Director of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, Mr. Adetokunbo Mumuni, called on the United Nations, European Union, African Union and ECOWAS to put pressure on Jonathan for the sake of the country’s peace and stability.

Noting that the world had become a global village, Mumuni said the idea of one man steering the internal affairs of a country was a philosophy of ancient times.

He said, “The problem I see in the postponement of the elections is the chaos that will arise from it. Remember, one of every four Africans is a Nigerian. If there is any problem in Nigeria, no one African country can contain us. That is why I believe that foreign bodies should continue to put pressure on the Nigerian government and President for him to give the assurance that the elections will go on as scheduled.

“They need to persuade him to come out and issue a public statement that these elections will not be postponed. There are various agencies under the United Nations that are concerned with these issues-democracy, civil and political rights. They should move through the UN to ensure the INEC timetable is maintained.

“There are European countries who are also interested in democracy and the stability of the Nigerian state. There are even bodies in West Africa, bodies under ECOWAS, and under the African Union that have mandates similar to what is happening now. They should speak up now so that chaos is not created in Nigeria.”

Also, the Chairman of the Social Democratic Party in Oyo State, Sunday Adelaja, has said that the postponement of the general election, as being rumoured in some quarters, will throw Nigeria backward.

Adelaja, who spoke with our correspondent in Ibadan on Saturday, said “If we have to call on the international community to ensure the election goes ahead, I see nothing wrong in that. But it should not get to that level if we actually love this country. If we want Nigeria to progress, no one should think of postponing the election.”

Similarly, the Executive Chairman of Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, Mr. Debo Adeniran, said his organisation is ready to petition world bodies.

He said, “Anyone calling for the postponement of the election should be charged with treason.

“We will not hesitate to call on the UN, United Kingdom and ECOWAS to prevail on INEC not to delay the poll.”

Also, the Inter-Party Advisory Council, comprising all registered political parties, said the group would not take the postponement of the elections lightly.

The IPAC Chairman, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, in an interview with SUNDAY PUNCH, said the council had not received any communication from INEC on the preparations for the elections.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Political Affairs, Prof. Rufai Ahmed Alkali, in a swift reaction in Abuja debunked allegations that the Presidency and the PDP were involved in schemes to postpone the elections.
 SOURCE: NairaPark
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2015 Prezy Election: Jonathan’s Men Desperate print

 Published on January 28, 2015 by   ·   17 Comments

Kazeem Ugbodaga

President Goodluck Jonathan’s political ambition is getting undermined by the day as his men have become more desperate to ensure that he returns to power. The latest desperate move which appears to have backfired is the launch of a hate documentary full of lies and distortions about All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari.

After watching the documentary, viewers still favoured Buhari in an opinion poll conducted by the same TV station that aired the vile documentary against the former Head of State.

The one hour offensive documentary is being aired on the Africa Independent Television, AIT, and the Nigeria Television Authority, NTA.

The documentary focuses on what transpired during the military regime of Buhari in 1984 and 1985 with lots of distortions to discredit Buhari’s candidacy.

President Goodluck Jonathan

Many people who have viewed the documentary were outraged about the desperation of Jonathan’s men and how far they could go to get another term for their principal.

One of such lies  in the AIT documentary spotted out by viewers was that  it was Buhari who expelled Ghanaians from Nigeria. Rather, it was Shehu Shagari who repatriated Ghanaians and other foreigners from Nigeria.

Also, the issue of Gloria Okon disappearing under Buhari was also concocted as she disappeared under General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime for which Dele Giwa was assassinated on Sunday, 19 October, 1986, long after Buhari had been ousted by Babangida.

Also, Fela’s mother died after Kalakuta republic was attacked by soldiers sent by Obasanjo’s government in 1978 and not under Buhari as claimed in the documentary.

Viewers also wondered what the death of two of Buhari’s daughters has to do with a documentary of Buhari’s ability to rule.

Reacting to the documentary, Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is only chasing shadows as the documentary is irrelevant and could not determine the presidential election.

“It was not Buhari who drove Ghanaians away from Nigeria and the aspect of the documentary that said  Gloria Okon and Fela’s mum died under Buhari are all lies.

“PDP has just pushed the panic button. The PDP in their desperation has descended to a maniacal level, it is simply madness.”

Comrade Debo Adeniran of the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, described the documentary as irresponsible on the part of the PDP.

“Everybody in Nigeria knows that Buhari was a military man, thus the use of military tactics. We should put that behind us. There are so many things happening now that are worse than during Buhari’s period,” he said.

•General Muhammadu Buhari

Adeniran said it was unthinkable for Jonathan to think he could get cheap popularity through the documentary, while decrying the taunting of the deceased members of Buhari’s family in the documentary, saying it is unAfrican.

A member of the House Representatives, Lanre Odubote, condemned the documentary, saying it smacked of desperation on the part of the PDP.

He said the PDP is already feeling jittery, which he said had led to desperation and sponsoring of all kinds of anti-Buhari campaigns.

Mr Joe Igbokwe, Publicity Secretary, APC, Lagos State said “everything under the sun is being unearthed and exhumed just to stop candidate Buhari by the PDP and their agents but the man’s towering popularity continues to soar like the eagle.”

Igbokwe said AIT cooked up a documentary to paint Buhari as an evil man and sadist and thereafter set up a public opinion poll to gauge the popularity of Jonathan and Buhari, but that Buhari still floored the president.

“Every issue they raised has worked against President Jonathan. This is a silent revolution, Buhari is the next president of Nigeria, case rested,” he stated.

Despite the negative documentary, the popularity of Buhari appears to be soaring on daily basis as he floored his opponent, President Goodluck Jonathan, in an opinion poll conducted by the Africa Independent Television, AIT.

AIT, the television station that has shown strong support for Jonathan, conducted an opinion poll after launching the offensive documentary on Buhari.

The poll was conducted on its website: aitonline.tv/elections.

The TV station simply asked: who will you vote for in the presidential election? AIT went on to list the names and logos of all the presidential candidates for people to vote.

As at 8:30pm on Tuesday, result of the poll which kept on growing showed that Jonathan was lagging behind Buhari.

While Jonathan, as at that time was scoring a little above 2,000, Buhari polled about 8,900 votes, which is about 78 percent of the total poll.

With the result of the poll getting more favourable for Buhari and drawing serious public discourse and comments, AIT quickly shut down its website at about 10 p.m. on Tuesday.

The website was still shut as at the time of filing this report with all contents removed on Wednesday.

This might not be unconnected with the result of the poll favouring Buhari and showing Jonathan’s seeming unpopularity in the eyes of the public.

AIT simply placed on its website this  information: “Our website is currently being improved to serve you better, please.”

SOURCE: P.M News.

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Jonathan criticized over unwillingness to tackle corruption in Nigeria

Sunday, January 25, 2015 2

The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has chided President Goodluck Jonathan over his unwillingness to tackle corruption in the country.

According to the group, corruption is the biggest problem the country is facing, besides the Boko Haram insurgency.

CACOL’s Executive Chairman, Debo Adeniran, told newsmen there was an urgent need to tackle the problem.

“It is a known fact that corruption is the greatest problem confronting our country Nigeria, thus if combated frontally, it would definitely put an end to many other challenges facing us as a people,” he said.

He also flayed the President’s criticism of the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari’s, plan to ensure that individuals guilty of corrupt practices were jailed.

Adeniran stated, “President Jonathan’s criticism of General Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to jail any citizen guilty of corruption charges is highly condemnable. As a matter of fact, it is another confirmation that Jonathan isn’t keen on coming hard on corrupt individuals in the country.”

The activist further alleged that Jonathan’s government did not see stealing of public funds as corruption.

“The case of the unremitted $20bn raised by the then Central Bank Governor, Mallam Sanusi Lamido, the case of $10bn expended by the current Petroleum Minister, Diezanu Alison-Madueke, on chartered jets, the Stella Oduah scandal, the Malabu oil scandal, and Yakubu Yusuf, who allegedly stole about N27bn of the pension money and got a court fine of N750, 000 for the offence. These and many others are cases that establish that this administration is corruption tolerant,” the CACOL boss said.

Similarly, a University of Ibadan teacher of the Department of Political Science, Dr. Idowu Johnson, stated that Jonathan’s attitude to corrupt practices had been responsible for the country’s clamour for a change in government.

“General Buhari’s records in combating corruption during his regime gave him the chance to be accepted as an alternative to the current corrupt government. Even those who are Jonathan’s followers know that his government is corrupt but they keep silent because they are benefiting from it. Put simply, Jonathan cannot fight corruption,” Johnson said.

However, another activist, Dr. Joe Okei-Odumakin, told our correspondent that Jonathan’s approach to the fight corruption was not out of place.

“I think we need to balance Jonathan with Buhari. Buhari is saying we must deal with corruption by throwing thieves into Kirikiri prisons while Jonathan is talking of preventing corruption and following due process in dealing with those who are corrupt.

“We must do both. We must fight the scourge of corruption but we must not use arbitrariness at the expense of institutions and due process. We have seen the evil of corruption in our country that we must be eager to stamp it out but we must avoid abuses of due process in the name of fighting corruption,” she said.

 

SOURCE: Nigerian Eye
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Don’t be partial, group warns controversial Mbu

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The Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders has warned the new Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Mr. Joseph Mbu, to be neutral in the season of electioneering.

The Executive Chairman of the Coalition, Mr. Debo Adeniran, queried the sincerity of the police authorities on the deployment of Mbu to Lagos State despite his controversial pedigree.

The group recalled that Mbu, a former Rivers State Commissioner of Police, had a running battle with the Governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi.

Likewise as CP in charge of the FCT, he issued a directive banning the Bring Back Our Girls group from holding street protests, an order that was overruled by the then Inspector General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Abubakar.

Adeniran said, “The redeployment of Officer Mbu to Lagos raises some suspicions. This is an officer that has been associated with series of controversies and had shown his partisanship in Rivers State while the face-off between Governor Amaechi and the Presidency lasted. It is also on record that this same Mbu, just last week, threatened to “bring down” any community that killed policemen in the course of duty.

“Though it is impossible for a leopard to change its spots, we want to believe Mbu was not sent to Lagos to foment trouble. In essence, the man should be warned not to engage in any act of impunity like he did in Rivers and Abuja as such would be met with stiff resistance from Lagosians.”

 SOURCE:24/7 Nigerian News.

 

 

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Book review of Debo Adeniran’s Lagos Open Parliament: The True State of Lagos by Lagosians

Fashola – under fire in new book Fashola – under fire in new book Omar 180 via Wikimedia Commons

Lagos’ bubble burst – A new book says that claims that Lagos has been transformed by the current governor are overblown, writes Agozino Agozino.

Considering its status as the commercial nerve-centre of Nigeria, it is perhaps not surprising to the outsider when Lagos prides itself as a “centre of excellence” and a mega city in the making, or that the governor, Babatunde Raji Fashola, should take the credit for it.

But a new book sensationally questions his achievements, accusing Fashola of lack of transparency in the state’s financial affairs. Written by Debo Adeniran, Lagos Open Parliament: The True State of Lagos by Lagosians chronicles tales of corruption in high places, nepotism and patronage during the seven years of the Fashola administration.

It also takes a swipe at Lagos’ much vaunted infrastructural regeneration and improved service provision, pointing out, for example, that the roads are full of potholes and schools lack basic equipment. Adeniran, who heads the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), argues that whatever good Fashola may have done, is far below whatever was promised during his two election campaigns.

‘The government of Fashola has been corrupt and deceptive, telling people what he thinks they want to hear instead of being accountable for his years of stewardship,’ he writes. “It is expected that any responsible government that is worth its onions should perform up to optimal level, based on the programmes with which it was elected. It is only when such government goes beyond its brief that it should expect commendation from the people.”

The book’s blurb states that CACOL and its partners decided to investigate what the governor has been up to because of the secrecy surrounding his administration. “We wrote to them [the Lagos State Government] under the Freedom of Information Act, with a view of getting their reaction to the corruption allegation levelled against them by a group called True Face of Lagos,” says the veteran human rights activist in the book. However, the government told CACOL that the Freedom of Information Act did not apply to Lagos State.

“In any democratic setting, government derives its existence, authorities and powers from the people. It is, therefore, presupposed to be answerable to the same people who, through their votes, have put it in charge of the affairs of the state or nation,” he adds.

Adeniran claims the governor has turned governance into a business venture by commercialising social services in the state: “Services that are supposed to be rendered as incentives to law-abiding citizens are turned into business ventures at exorbitant charges, beyond the reach of average citizens.”

The book also alleges that the Lagos State Government has become “the biggest omonile”, a term referring to questionable land grab practices: “Since assuming office, the administration has demolished Oshodi, Mushin and Tejuosho markets. It has taken over other available spaces where traders ply their trade and replaced them with structures, the cost of which is beyond the reach of the common man.”

It went a step further with its “anti-poor policies” with the banning of the iconic yellow molue transit buses and introducing more costly alternatives. Some of the new public transport buses are in an even worse state than the molue buses, Debo writes.

In the same vein Fashola has outlawed the 100cc okada (motorbike taxi) because it says the operators are reckless and use them to commit crime: “The administration says it will supply 200cc motorcycle, as if that will make the riders less reckless. In fact, the 200cc motorcycle will be a better tool in the hands of criminals because they are faster.”

Adeniran accuses the Fashola administration of listening more to its own voice and those of  its praise singers than the voices of the people. According to him, ‘Any serious government must be sober enough to see beyond the cloud of assemblage of cronies, the see-no-evil, say-no-evil to power sycophants, whose job is to hold any government in power hostage, at its own pleasure for pecuniary interests.’

Hence the publication of Lagos Open Parliament, which is, in effect, a people’s forum where participants gather, exchange views, share their experiences and assess democracy in the state and its chief executive. In doing so it dismisses Fashola’s populist style as a slick public relations exercise designed to hoodwink a gullible public via clever use of the print and electronic media. According to the book, far from being a centre of excellence Lagos is not working at all.

“It is amazing that Lagos has capacity to become one of the greatest cities in the world. Yet, no one is bothering about the resources of the citizens, who are being taxed by the administration. What is the state doing to lift the poverty of the masses? What wealth and how many jobs are being created? What efforts have the state deployed to crystalise the private sector?” Debo remarks.

Under Fashola the local councils have become an economic drain, he claims. In any case, they are riddled with nepotism: “Instead of deploying the proceeds generated from state to productive ventures, our Lagos government has used it to finance themselves and their cronies. Yet, no one is bothered with the future of the state. All our dear Lagos government is interested in is to keep milking the wells of the people.”

He then lists the government’s expenditure, including N290m ($1.8m) on text messages to the public between January and June 2009; N5bn ($30.5m) on two helicopters “useless” for any kind of emergency or rescue operation; N13bn ($79m) wasted on the importation of palm trees from Niger, which all “dried up”, in addition to the disappearance of the N5.2bn from the sale of the Maiyegun scheme, 150 hectares of coastline and earmarked for tourism.

“If all the above and several other billions mismanaged and misappropriated, for which space cannot permit us [to enumerate], had been invested on education, healthcare facilities, roads and other critical infrastructures, Lagosians would have experienced real development and not scattered, isolated pieces of infrastructural window-dressing meant to bamboozle the general public, especially for electioneering purposes.”

SOURCE:News Africa.

 

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Nigerians Blast Jonathan Over Fuel Price Cut print

Published on January 19, 2015 by   ·   12 Comments

Kazeem Ugbodaga

Nigerians have blasted President Goodluck Jonathan over the paltry reduction in the price of petroleum product from N97 to N87, saying the reduction is not commensurate with the fall in crude oil price globally.

Others say the president decided to cut the price of petroleum in order to win the heart of Nigerians to vote for him at next month’s election.

Speaking with P.M.NEWS, Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said winning election was the reason Jonathan decided to reduce the price of petroleum product, describing it as a last minute deception and a panic mode to warm himself into the hearts of Nigerians.

“In the United States, the prices of petroleum were reduced two months ago when the prices started falling. Why are we just dong it here now? I am not impressed. The fuel price fall is about 60 percent and the reduction is not commensurate with the fall in prices,” he said. Continue reading “Nigerians Blast Jonathan Over Fuel Price Cut print”

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CACOL Bombs Jonathan, Says Fuel Price Reduction Is Political Gimmick

Jan 19th, 2015 0 Comments

Comrade Debo Adeniran, Nigeria's fearless activist

 

By Simon Ateba/Lagos

 

Nigeria’s anti-corruption organisation, the Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders, CACOL, on Monday blasted embattled President, Goodluck Jonathan, and described the sudden reduction of fuel price less than a month to a tough presidential election as a meaningless political gimmick.

Jonathan on Sunday approved the reduction of the price of the Premium Motor Spirit otherwise known as Petrol from N97 per litre to N87 per litre.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, who announced the reduction at a press conference in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, said the new price regime would take effect immediately.

But the Executive Chairman of the Coalition and a fearless Nigerian activist, Comrade Debo Adeniran, said the Jonathan administration is hypocritical.

The reduction twenty-six days to a presidential election, “is coming far behind the time we expected and it makes the whole thing look like a political gimmick, a kind of action engineered by political expediency”, Adeniran said.

He said Nigerians should not be taken for a ride “because the amount of difference between the time they ought to have reduced the prices of petroleum products and now is so enormous.”

Adeniran added: “They only told us they reduced the price of PMS, what of Kerosine and diesel which are consumed, if not more or in larger quantity than the petrol. What has been done so far is haphazard. The reduction is not proportional to the reduction in the prices of crude in the international market”

He said when the price of petroleum products was hiked, the Federal Government said it was because the price of crude had gone up in the international market and they had to subsidise.

“But now the price has gone down more than 70 per cent, we expect the N97 petrol price and the prices of other petroleum product should have gone down about 70 per cent too,” he said.

Adeniran ended his statement with a warning: “Hence, the government should be ready to account for what happens to the difference that accrued between the time of the global fall and the time they’re doing the reduction.”

SOURCE: Simon Ateba.

 

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Dynamics of PMS pricing regime

By Chukwudi Nweje  / Acting Features Editor

 

The Federal Government has finally heeded to the cries of Nigerians for a reduction in the pump price of petroleum products consumed by the citizenry. The government on Sunday announced a N10 slash off the pump price of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) from N97.00 to N87.00 per litre.

Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs Diezani Alison-Madueke who announced the price cut has also directed the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to ensure that marketers immediately adjust to the new price regime. According to her, the price cut became necessary following the dwindling crude oil price.

Alison-Madueke-woman-in-the-news-She said: “As you may be aware there has been a lot of volatility in price of petroleum product particularly crude oil over the last few months, invariably this has meant that the price of the product in Nigeria has also been greatly impacted.

“It is as a result of this under the approval and directive of Mr. President and in line with Section 6 Clause 1 of the Petroleum Act, that it is my responsibility as the Minister of Petroleum to announce that there will be a reduction in the pump price of petroleum (primium motor spirit) by N10, therefore the reduction will be from N97 per litre to N87 per litre effective as of mid-night Sunday the 18th of January 2015.

“In line with this I have directed the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency and the Directorate of Petroleum Resources to ensure there is strict adherence to this new pricing regime as soon as it takes effect from midnight Sunday 18th of January 2015. I do hope the entire country will benefit immensely from this reduction in the pump price of petroleum.” Continue reading “Dynamics of PMS pricing regime”

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Outrage trail FG’s fuel price reduction

Published On: Tue, Jan 20th, 2015

Jonathan and AlisonBy Tobias Lengnan Dapam & Ayodele Samuel, in Lagos

Fixed reactions have continued to trail Federal government’s decision to reduce pump price of petrol from N97 to N87 following crash of crude oil price at the international market.

Minister of Petroleum, Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke while announcing the slash on Monday said the reduction became necessary due to the consistent slide in the price of crude at the international market.

She added that the Petroleum Product Price Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), has been directed to effect the new change with immediate effect.

However, Nigerians viewed the N10 cut from the pump price of fuel as another ‘Greek gift’ from President Goodluck Jonathan few weeks to election.

Lagos lawyer, Festus Keyamo said winning election was the reason Jonathan decided to reduce the price of petroleum product, describing it as a last minute deception and a panic mode to warm himself into the hearts of Nigerians.

“In the United States, the prices of petroleum were reduced two months ago when the prices started falling. Why are we just doing it here now?

I am not impressed. The fuel price fall is about 60 percent and the reduction is not commensurate with the fall in prices,” he said.

On his part, Chairman, Coalition Against Corrupt Leaders (CACOL), Comrade Debo Adeniran rejected the reduction, saying it is not commensurate with the fall in crude oil price, lamenting that the reduction was not also done across board as the prices of diesel and kerosene were not reduced.

Adeniran also said the reduction was simply political and a way to win the hearts of the people to vote for his candidacy.

A human rights organisation in Nigeria – Committee for Democracy and Rights of the People (CDRP) has questioned the economic rationale behind the federal government’s reduction of the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from N97 to N87.

In a statement, the group said the decision was not in the interest of the Nigerian masses and therefore “parochial and politically motivated”.

Acting National Coordinator of the group, Comrade Saka Waheed, slammed the N87 price as arbitrarily arrived at, in the face of declining global oil prices.

“The natural economic expectation of our organisation is that the price of petroleum would drop in conformity with the current global fall in the price of the commodity. Therefore, it is strange and parochial to hear that the federal government is celebrating a paltry N10 reduction.

“A careful review of government action thus far has clearly shown that the federal government has not learnt from the aftermath of January 1st 2012 subsidy protest. They are about to impose a reverse subsidy on the populace. In case the government does not know, the main message of the 2012 protest was that there is a limit upon which government can take people for granted” Comrade Saka stated.

The group therefore emphasised that the government has no basis to keep the retail price of PMS at N87.

“The price of PMS must revert to N65 with immediate effect”, the group said.

Also, the APC in Oyo State has rejected the slight adjustment in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), describing the development as hypocritical

Director of Publicity, Olawale Sadare, challenged the president and his economic team to explain how the new pump price came into being and without making any guiding statement on it.

“It is to the common knowledge of everyone that the prices of crude oil in the global market have fallen by 50 percent but the Nigerian government chose to announce a phantom 10 per cent reduction in the

official pump price of petrol in what we suspect to be another subtle attempt to evolve a soft landing for the president in next month’s general elections.

“In as much as Nigerians are amazed that the PDP administration of Dr. Jonathan can bow to the pressure, which first came from the APC in Oyo State, to reduce the fuel pump price, it is curious to note that the announcement in the dead of the night by the minister did not meet the expectations of the people and as such cannot be celebrated.

“What happens to the prices of other petroleum products such as kerosene which sells for between N120 and N150 when its landing cost is N45.90k? Why does Nigeria still depend largely on smaller countries with functional refineries to run its economy when we are the world’s sixth-largest exporter of crude oil? Why does the country lose at least 400,000 barrel of crude oil to pirates on daily basis?” the party asked.

SOURCE: Peoples Daily