Musa, Sani urge mass action against fuel price increase

As criticisms trail the increase in the price of petrol by the Federal Government, former Governor of Kaduna State, Alhaji Balarabe Musa has advised the government to immediately reverse the arbitrary hike to avoid protests among Nigerians.

Besides, the Senator representing Kaduna Central, Senator Shehu Sani has also described the fuel price increase as an insensitive decision on the part of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) saying that Nigerian masses should not be weighed down with additional economic woes.

Musa, who spoke with The Guardian in reaction to the price hike, said: “it is now time for the Nigerian masses to rise up to their responsibility and protest this unreasonable and fascist tendencies to subject Nigerians to perpetual hardship.

This is the time that Nigeria Labour Congres and Nigerian civil society groups must stand up to their responsibilities to defend the right to decent life and condition of living of Nigerians.

“I know that the government would detail out their security to shoot at us when we embark on protest against this senseless arbitrary increase, but we should be ready to defy their action and defend our rights to decent living condition.

“The government should be advised by other patriotic Nigeria that have the love of this country and its people at heart for them to drop this price increase of fuel. We are tired of all the policies initiated by this government to bring untold hardship to Nigerians”.

Meanwhile, in his reaction, Senator Sani said: “The decision by the NNPC to increase the pump price of petrol products is insensitive and punitive”, adding that “its most unfortunate that at a time when poor Nigerians are facing enormous economic hardships and are being asked to be more patient, all the NNPC can do is to add to their suffering”.

Sani continued:” It’s utterly irrational and illogical to further impoverish the people in order to achieve liberal self serving economic aspirations .Its all evidence that capitalist forces are holding the government hostage and are blackmailing it to implement its inimical version of economic reforms .It makes no sense if everyone must perish in order to revamp the economy.

“ Economic reforms are necessary but it must be done with a human face and human heart if it’s made in the interest of human beings. Outrageous increase in pump price is a social provocation.Its possible to reform the oil sector without necessarily incinerating the country.

“We must not take the patience,the sacrifice and the good will of Nigerians for granted. I stand oppose to the increase in pump price and I call on the president to weigh in on the NNPC to rescind the decision”, Sani  who is also the Chairman Senate committee on Foreign and Domestic debt added.