Civil Liberties Organization, CLO Anambra State branch has appealed to Petroleum products marketers to revert to the old price of petroleum products prior to announcement of subsidy removal by president Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his inaugural speech on 29th May.
The Anambra CLO Chairman, Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme who made the appeal in a chaat with newsmen in Awka, noted that Nigerians have been facing severe hardship over hyper-inflation, high cost of living, insecurity, youths’ restiveness and unemployment, adding that increase in the prices of petroleum products will exacerbate the plights and predicaments of the citizens.
Ezekwueme reminded the oil marketers that the government has not officially increased the price of the petroleum products, hence it will be unpatriotic and a disservice to the nation for them to arbitrarily skyrocket the price of the petroleum product to the detriment, plight and predicament of the citizens.
“The citizens are yet to recover from naira redesign, high cost of living and artificial hoarding of fuel and most pathetic recent astrological increase in prices of petroleum products due to yet to be removed oil subsidy.
“It is pertinent to always think about common good and interest above self and unbridled quest for wealth and materialism.
“Let us learn to be our brother’s keeper and share the burdens of life mutually,” he said.
The Anambra CLO boss commended the Anambra Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Barr Anthony Ifeanya for living up to expectations and giving directive to Oil Marketers in the state not to take advantage of subsidy removal to exploits and extorts citizens.
“The commissioner directed them to revert to old prices of petroleum products prior to subsidy has it has not taken effect and they all still have old products. He threatened to penalized any filling station that sells above government regulated prizes.
“There is no doubt in our minds that Ifeanya has the wherewithal to do the needful and restore normalcy and tranquility in the state.
“It is very unfortunate and unbearable that Anambrarians woke up only to discovered that price of fuel has skyrocketed between #600 to #800 depending on the location or the magnanimity of the owner of the Filling Station.
“Most worrisome is the fact that the increase has resulted in increase in prices of goods and services as transport fare has increased by over 200 percent in less than 24 hours.
“If urgent steps are not taking by the government, the future just like the present, will be very bleak and disastrous,” he noted.
The group called on the Anambra Petroleum Commissioner, to marshal out plans to ensure implementation of his directive with actions, by ensuring strict and prompt compliance with the government directive by petroleum products marketers to rescue the pathetic situation.
