The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on Nigerians to reject the President Muhammadu Buhari administration anti-people policies following recent hike in prices of essential needs.
HURIWA, which was reacting to the recent hike in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and electricity tariff at a time Nigerians were battling with the economic hardship occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, challenged the Federal Government to publish details of its oil subsidy regime, including the involvement and interest of political leaders close to the corridor of power.
According to a statement signed by the National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA noted that despite Nigeria’s huge natural resources, the majority of its population wallows in abject poverty amidst rapidly growing unemployment and insecurity.
The group further pointed out that the economic fortunes of the country have been dwindling due to the fall in the global price of crude oil and gross mismanagement of resources by officials of the Buhari administration.
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It added that even before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nigeria’s economy was already fragile due to massive corruption in government offices.
HURIWA said: “We are by this statement demanding to know the rationale for these insensitive, irrational and inhuman economic wars against Nigerians who are already facing mass hunger, mass unemployment and mass killings.
“We also challenge the Federal Government to publish details of its oil subsidy regime, including the involvement and interest of political leaders close to the corridor of power.
“Has subsidy actually been removed? If so, do we still have it in the budget? If we have deregulated, how come the situation and what is the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) doing to control price?
“Is the government collecting tax from citizens on every litre of petrol sold? Nigerians need to know. Why are the refineries not working despite the colossal amount quoted as being used for turnaround maintenance?
“We demand to know what exactly President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda in the face of the collapse of the economy and security is. Our fear is that the Buhari government is pushing Nigerians to the wall with its obnoxious and anti-people penchants and we caution that nobody should misinterpret the peaceful and law-abiding nature of Nigerians as a sign of weakness.
“Therefore we call for the cancellation of the evil and inhuman hike in the pump price of petrol and electricity as it is a travesty and would have a knock-on effect on millions of poor Nigerians who will struggle to meet the increased costs of transportation and basic goods.
“The development will eventually lead to an increase in the prices of goods produced by manufacturers, which will automatically result to increase in inflation. Nigerians should rise up and reject these evil policies or be enslaved forever.”
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