From Esther Akaa, Lafia
A human right organisation, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) has strongly condemned the recent increase in the price of fuel from N148 to about N160 per litre.
The organisation in a statement issued on Thursday(September 3, 2020) and signed by the Country Director, Mrs Ene Obi, urged the Federal Goverment to concentrate on addressing the security bedeviling the country.
It noted that the increase was coming at a time other governments were making adjustments to soothe their populations upon the COVID-19 pandemic, whereas Nigeria was increasing the prices of essential commodities.
“ActionAid Nigeria totally condemns the hike in fuel prices. We are not out of COVID-19, a lot of citizens are losing their jobs, people are getting poorer, more responsibility with school closure, young people roaming the streets unemployed and fuel hike at this time is shocking.
“Governance is about easing the pain and burden of the common man, but it seems the Nigerian government is not in touch with the reality on ground. We are dealing with too many increases at the same time and this is introducing so much inflation into our lives. Governance is also about the people. Instead of dealing with insecurity, we are taking actions that will further heighten insecurity because as the inflations go up and more people are plunged into poverty, there will be more conflict in our society.
“With the volume of energy we have in the country, it is disappointing that we are still not refining crude locally. ActionAid Nigeria will be working with the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and other relevant stakeholders to amplify the voices and demands of the common man. The fuel hike is a disappointing move at this time,” the statement said.
