By; AMOS TAUNA, Kaduna
The Arewa Youths Alliance for Progress and Development (AYAPD), a network of 47 youth groups in Nigeria, has expressed sadness over the continuous shortage of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), that has triggered some unpatriotic Nigerians to sell it at over N250 per liter, thereby causing untold hardship on Nigerians.
The youth noted that in areas where one miraculously comes across the product, the current price is far above the official subsidized rate and is therefore, not acceptable.
Engr Jamilu Shitu Dunkawa and Comrade James Ishaku,
Chairman and Secretary of the group in a statement made available to New Nigerian on Monday in Kaduna said, “The present circle of the scarcity was officially attributed to the flooding in Lokoja, Kogi State, which blocked the major road that links Southern and Northern Nigeria. Several weeks after the flood has vanished and harmattan dusty breeze in blowing, the situation has remain the same, if not worse.”
It added, “Surprisingly, the energy Crisis became well pronounced when we noticed that fueling stations owned by the NNPC LTD are not dispensing fuels. for instance, virtually all the former Oando stations they recently acquired don’t have the product. If NNPC itself doesn’t have fuel, who else does?”
The statement stated that the resurgence of long queues in the stations coincided with the security alert on planned terrorism attack in Abuja by the US Embassy to American Citizens and their staff, saying, “We feel strongly that by the inability of Duke Oil LTD to meet the energy demands of Nigerians, they are setting Nigerians up for massive destruction, should the terrorists decides to attack, as alleged by the USA. Nigerians don’t need to gathered in one place for obvious reasons.”
As Nigerians may be aware, the statement explained that Duke Oil is solely responsible for ensuring Energy Security of our country, saying that they haved to achieve as Nigerians have never had it so bad like this year.
“We miraculously survived the scarcity triggered by the importation of adulterated fuel, then, one alluded to Russia-Ukraine war, during last Sallah celebration, Nigerians were told that it was due to high demand of the product while the present one is been falsely linked to flooding in Lokoja. The deception of NNPC and their trading Company Duke Oil became obvious when Lagos was badly hit by the terrible situation,” the statement explained.
The statement lamented that in the midst of all these history of scarcity, NNPC and their profiteers in the subsidy scam have never agreed to reduced the consumption rate both in times of scarcity and adequate distribution, pointing out that it looks as if, the more the scarcity, the more money the federal government spends on subsidy.
In all of these, the youths said they have the National Assembly to blame for their inability to make public their findings on the probe of the importation of adulterated fuel that damaged people’s vehicles without adequate compensation, talk more of compensating Nigerians for the needless stress they were made to pass through.
The youth said, “We are particularly disturbed that the incompetence of those responsible for the supply of petroleum products would cause unprecedented hardship during the forthcoming Christmas and New Year celebration. It will also trigger inflation and set Nigerians against President Muhammadu Buhari who desires to leave legacy of overcoming the shame of fuel queues amidst abundant crude oil in Nigeria.”
The statement, therefore, called on the sack of what it called “the incompetent Mr Kolo Mele Kyari who is like the Greek gods with double face”, saying that on the periphery is display competence, while deep down, alleging that he is one of the most incompetent Head of the NNPC to have been appointed.
The statement noted that Lawal Saude’s led Duke Oil has proven to lack the capacity needed to guarantee energy security and called for his sack and adequate probing, calling on anti graft agencies should shift their search light to Company and expose all niferious activities taking place there, so as take the present sufferings off Nigerians.
The youths also calledall on the DSS and all relevant security agencies to prevail on the people at the NNPC Towers to do their work with all diligence, so as to avoid attracting the wrath of long suffering Nigerians, adding that special attention should be drawn to those responsible for price control, regulations and enforcement.
“Note that we will vehemently oppose and resist any attempt to increase the pump price of PMS, using whatever guise as presently being speculated,” the statement opined.
