Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, human rights activist and lawyer has expressed his dissatisfaction concerning the new fuel price regime handed down by the Federal Government describing the development as illegal and lacking statutory power because the government is yet to constitute a body empowered to take such decision.
According to the Human rights activist, the Federal Government’s decision was “immoral and insensitivity of the effect of fuel price increase on the people of Nigeria.”
Femi Falana in his statement made available to news agency, Vanguard, maintained that the development was against the yearnings and needs of Nigerians who want a further reduction in the fuel price.
He also noted that the administration tricked the citizens as it had earlier promised not to remove subsidy. He added that the “unilateral decision of the Executive Secretary of the body to fix the pump price at N145 per litre is ultra vires and illegal in every material particular.”
“In view of the illegality, insensitivity and immorality of the price increase the federal government should cancel it, revert to the status quo and consult widely with all relevant stakeholders in the society.”
Noting that the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) had recently invited fresh bids for the setting up modular refineries which resulted in licensing of 22 additional modular refineries, Falana wondered why an increase in fuel price was the next course of action for the government.
He said in the statement: “with combined capacities to refine 1.429 million barrels of crude oil per day. If the policy is genuinely pursued the construction of the refineries ought to be completed within the 9-12 months.
“If such refineries are established in the country the importation of fuel and the fraud associated with it will stop. In the interim, instead of importing oil from Europe and the United States the NNPC should refine crude oil for domestic consumption in neighbouring countries which have functional refineries. After all, Nigeria refines 60,000 barrels of crude oil per day in Cote d’ivoire which is not an oil producing nation.”
He pointed that “If subsidy had been removed over a month ago and the country has been saving $2 billion (from fuel importation and subsidy removal) while the refineries are now working at full capacity Dr. Kachukwu should tell Nigerians the justification for the new removal of fuel subsidy announced by him yesterday.
“The cost elements that make up the N145 are provocative. If the total landing cost of a litre and other charges are fixed at N138 what is the basis of fixing the price at N145? For goodness sake, why should motorists be made to pay NPA/NIMASA charges, within and without storage/ bridging charges etc?”