President remains silent on petrol crisis

monjola sotubo

May 24, 2015 8:39 PM

The situation has been ongoing for months and is at its worst in Abuja, the seat of power, yet the President has not deemed it fit to address the issue.

Nigerians in the country have expressed surprise that President Goodluck Jonathan has not said anything about the current fuel and power crisis in the country.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in a statement issued today, May 24, 2015, accused Jonathan of handing over a distressed country to President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, a move which it says reeks of sabotage.

"In a few days’ time, President Jonathan will hand over to President-elect Muhammadu Buhari. Never in the history of our country has any government handed over to another a more distressed country: No electricity, no fuel, workers are on strike, billions are owed to state and federal workers, 60 billion dollars are owed in national debt and the economy is virtually grounded,” the statement reads.

"Today, Nigerians are roaming the streets, jerry cans in hand, searching for everything from kerosene to fuel to diesel to power their homes, keep their vehicles on the road and keep their businesses going. They are paying as much as 300 Naira per litre for fuel, if at all they can get it. Yet their government is not saying a word about the situation,” it added.

The party also spoke on the effect that the fuel crisis has had on the economy and the supply of goods and services.

“If the current energy crisis is not solved soonest, the telecommunications sector could even be grounded in a matter of days as service providers will have neither electricity nor fuel to power their base stations. Of course the aviation sector has already been left comatose by the fuel crisis, the whole scenario reeks of sabotage!” the APC said.

This sentiment has been mirrored by other Nigerians who are disappointed at the President’s silence and believe that citizens are being punished for voting him out of office.

Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke has also not addressed the issue but is instead said to have made a hasty trip to the United Kingdom for unknown reasons.

Also, the Minister of Finance, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala has vowed not to pay the marketers who are behind the crisis after accusing them of fraud.

“Marketers just want to make Nigerians suffer. I will not pay the N159 billion without verification, Nigerians should not allow themselves to be blackmailed,” she said in Abuja on Saturday, May 23.

However, a resolution to the issue seems to have arisen as the Managing Director of Capital Oil and Gas, Ifeanyi Ubah has offered to supply product to end the scarcity.

“We are constrained at this point and have decided that two wrongs cannot make a right. We will not be part of this sabotage against our fatherland. Therefore from this minute, we shall take the risk of opening our facilities and commence swift loading and distribution of products Nationwide,” Ubah said via a statement on Sunday, May 24.

Meanwhile, Jonathan, Vice President, Namadi Sambo, Okonjo-Iweala and other officials of the outgoing administration are said to have concluded plans to fly out of the country on May 29, after Buhari is sworn in.

monjola sotubo