From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja

The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has rejected the latest unjustifiable increase in fuel prices by the federation government across the country.

This is contained in a statement released by Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi,
National Coordinator of the group.

Recall that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has jerked up official pump price at its owned retail filling stations in all the 36 states plus the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.

The statement indicated that an increase in fuel prices is tantamount to creating artificial raises in prices of goods and services in the country because of the centrality of fuel to the economy and the domino effects that naturally resonate such jerk up.

It reminded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu that Nigerians did not vote for the Group Managing Director of the NNPCL or any other unelected officials but him asking him to governs with compassion, empathy, and a deep understanding of the hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians.

” We have credible reports indicating that in some states, fuel prices have already surged to an outrageous ₦1,400 per liter. This is unacceptable and a direct assault on the economic wellbeing of the masses, who are already grappling with soaring inflation, unemployment, and pervasive insecurity.

The CNG warned that this reckless policy will have serious consequences for the Tinubu administration, as the trust and patience of the Nigerian people are wearing thin.

This price hike is devoid of any democratic consideration and reflects a disconnect between the government and the people.

Democracy, ideally, is supposed to be, in practice, a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. However, this policy of constant-fuel-price-raise is clearly anti-people and anti-democratic that spells doom for the administration and the remnant of any goodwill. If the government truly believes in the principles of democracy, it must urgently reconsider this policy and take immediate steps to retract to avert further suffering of the masses.

Undoubtedly, data from the government-owned National Bureau of Statistics and other authoritative organizations such as Food and Agriculture Organisation, World Bank and African Development Bank have confirmed that millions of Nigerians are deeply entangled in poverty and food insecurity which portend dire consequences for the country.

Hence, this latest stretching of Nigerians credulity will most certainly accentuate further breeding of multidimensional poverty and hunger which would not augur well for the country and the administration.

In the same vein, the CNG condemned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) for contributing to the current avoidable circumstance through promotion of personal selfish interest of its President, Joe Ajaero for his political ends.

” Nigerians may recall that the CNG had been cautioning in the last five years that salary increase without addressing underlying root causes of our woes will only aggravate our problems.

“We reject this plan and urge the government to explore humane and innovative alternatives such as reducing wasteful expenditure and the high cost of governance, tackling corruption, and increasing taxes on luxury goods to fund the minimum wage. Any wage increase that hikes the fuel price is self-defeating.”

The CNG had been vindicated with the current realities as it has been advocating for resuscitating government-owned refineries in Kaduna, Warri and Port Harcourt and pressuring the government to downsize running cost of governance, corruption in the system and prioritizing essential needs of the country but Ajaero-led NLC assumed their solo struggle for salary raise will address their woes.

It is unfortunate that the NLC had sacrificed foresight and vision to satisfy the desperation and personal aggrandizement of Ajaero who specializes in manipulation and playing with the peoples intelligence to quench his sundry ambitions.

Regrettably, it is Nigerians that are at the receiving end of the catastrophic outing of the NLC and the inhumane treatment from the Government through shouldering the burden of rooftop prices of goods and services as fuel had already crossed N1, 400 per litre in some places while basic grocery goods and essential food staples have gone up instantly.

Therefore, we call on President Tinubu to listen to the voices of the people who elected him, to prioritize their welfare, and to demonstrate that his administration is one that cares for the common man.

The CNG cautions that accountability, transparency, and evidence-based policies must not be jettisoned to be upheld as democratic values upon which our democracy should thrive better.