A former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, has reacted to Wednesday’s announcement of a hike in the pump price of petrol.
In a move that has been condemned by many Nigerians, the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) increased the pump price of petrol to N140.80/143.80 per litre from N121.50 per litre.
In a circular to marketers, PPPRA’s Executive Secretary, Abdulkadir Saudi said, “After a review of the prevailing market fundamentals in the month of June and considering marketers’ realistic operating costs, as much as practicable, we wish to advise a new PMS pump price band of N140.80 – 143.80/litre for the month of July, 2020.”
But in a Facebook post, Omokri accused the President Muhammadu Buhari administration of suffocating Nigerians with the pump price increment and a barrage of taxes and levies despite poor and static minimum wage.
He also mocked Nigerians for voting for a government that allegedly has been inflicting pains on the citizenry despite promising “change”.
Omokri wrote, “General Buhari’s government has increased petrol price to ₦140. I just laugh.
“This comes on the same day that the Guardian of UK revealed that the Buhari administration had been selling Nigerians cheap cancer causing fuel, all the while lying that they were subsiding petrol and pocketing trillions of Naira.
“Corruption and insecurity is on the increase. Fuel, electricity, stamp duty, food price increased. Strange new taxes like account operating charge, GSM data tax, DSTV tax introduced. Yet minimum wage remains the same. Nigerians, you wanted change, are you guys still enjoying your Buhari change?”