Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, has rejected the fuel price increase.
News About Nigeria reports that the organisation has also demanded an immediate reversal.
The organisation’s spokesperson, Comrade Jare Ajayi, said that Nigerians are facing numerous challenges due to the current socio-economic situation and that increasing fuel prices would only exacerbate these difficulties.
He said, “It is therefore the wrong time to come up with any policy that will increase the undesirable challenges Nigerians are going through presently.”
Afenifere said that the timing of the price increase is particularly problematic, as it may undermine the effectiveness of certain policies aimed at alleviating the suffering of citizens, such as the Student Loan Scheme and Consumer Credit Scheme.
The organisation stated that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) had hiked prices of fuel, from N617 to N897 per litre, despite the corporation’s recent claim of making a profit of N3.3 trillion.
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Lokpobiri denied authorising the price increase, stating that the government did not instruct the NNPCL to raise fuel prices.
“It is crucial, therefore, that the government order the corporation to reverse the price hike forthwith, as it is already causing untold hardship for the people,” Afenifere said.
Afenifere expressed skepticism about the NNPCL’s claim of facing a debt burden of $6.8 billion, given its recent profit announcement.
The organisation said the far-reaching consequences of energy price hikes, including increased costs of services and commodities, reduced disposable incomes, and heightened health risks.
“The combination of all these is making daily living an onerous task for the majority of the citizens.”
Afenifere urged the federal government to immediately order the NNPCL to reverse the price increase, warning that failure to do so may jeopardise President Bola Tinubu’s assurances that “Nigerians’ pains will soon be over.”
