Ruling APC Asks Nigerians to Support Fuel Subsidy Removal

 

 

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Nigerians to support the removal of petroleum subsidy by the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

In a new year message signed personally by it’s National Chairman, Mr. John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC said removal of subsidy will guarantee availability of petroleum products at competitive prices and eliminate corruption in the operations of the downstream sector.

The party noted that “President Buhari’s administration inherited a corruption-tainted subsidy regime run by corrupt cartels. Oil cartels and their cronies resisting change have continued to blackmail and sabotage government’s effort on the issue of subsidy and availability of petroleum products.

“To this end, the presidential directive to the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to adjust its pricing template to reflect competitive and market driven components should be supported.
“A review of PPPRA’s pricing template will‎ result in a more efficient and realistic pricing system for petroleum products and also result in constant availability of fuel nationwide.”

The APC also noted that plans are afoot to unbundle the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to “enhance more productivity and increased transparency and accountability.”
This he said is in line with the party’s promise to restructure the country’s oil and gas economy “which has been marred by corruption and inefficiencies.”

The APC said it is prepared to fulfill all its campaign promises to Nigerians beginning with the passage and implementation of the 2016 budget.

The promises according to him “include the proposed Social Welfare Programmes, which will pay unemployed Nigerian graduates (post-NYSC grant); feed school children and cater for a larger population of the poorest and most vulnerable Nigerians.”

He said: “I want to give a firm assurance that all the promises made by the party in respect of the 2015 election to Nigerians will be kept. The New Year holds great dividends for Nigerians when the policies of the President Muhamadu Buhari-led administration are enforced full blast in the 2016 financial year.

“Looking back at the last seven months, there are clear indicators showing that the APC and the President Buhari administration is on the right track to delivering on its Change Agenda.”
Noting that the road ahead is rough and “our challenges are legion, we have the courage and determination to rise up and meet them.”

He said the full implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) has greatly plugged revenue leakages in public finance management while appealing to the National Assembly to lend its full support to the President.