Civil Liberties Organization, CLO, Anambra State branch, has appealed to Petroleum products marketers to revert to the old prize of petroleum products prior to announcement of subsidy removal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his inaugural speech on 29th May, 2023.
CLO stated this on the heels of the suffering the citizens were undergoing over the hyper inflation, high cost of living, insecurity, youth restiveness and unemployment.
This was contained in a press statement issued to newsmen by the Chairman, Evangelist Comrade Vincent Ezekwueme and Comrade Chidi Mbah, the Secretary.
The group stated that the increase in the prices of petroleum products will greatly affect the plight and predicaments of the citizens.
“Let us be our brother’s keeper! Let’s remind the oil marketers that the Government has not officially increased the price of the petroleum products, hence it will be unpatriotic and disservice to the nation for them to arbitrary skyrocket the price of the petroleum products to the detriment, plights and predicaments of the citizens.”
“The citizens are yet to recover from the effect of the ill-timed Naira redesign, high cost of living, artificial hoarding of fuel and most pathetic recent astronomical increase in prices of petroleum products due to the yet to be removed oil subsidy.”
“It is pertinent to always think about common good and interest above self and unbridled quest for wealth and materialism.
Let us learn to be our brother’s keeper and share the burdens of life mutually.”
They also commended the Honourable Commissioner for Petroleum and Natural Resources, Hon. Barr. Anthony Ifeanya, for living up to expectations and giving directive to Oil Marketers in the state not to take advantage of subsidy removal to exploits and extorts citizens.
CLO stated that he directed them to revert to old prices of petroleum products prior to subsidy as it has not taken effect and they all still have old products. He threatened to penalize any filling station that sells above government regulated prices.
“There is no doubt in our minds that Hon. Ifeanya has the wherewithal to do the needful and restore normalcy and tranquility in the state.”
“It is very unfortunate and unbearable that Anambrarians woke up this morning only to discover that prices of petroleum products has skyrocketed between N600 to N800 depending on the location or the magnanimity of the owner of the Filling Station.”
“Most pathetic is that the increase has resulted in astronomical increase in prices of goods and services as transport fare has increased by 200 percent in less than 24 hours.”
“If urgent steps are not taken by the Government, the future just like the present will be very bleak and disastrous.”
CLO therefore, appealed to the vibrant and courageous Honourable Commissioner, Ifeanya, to marshal out plan to ensure implementations of his directive with actions with immediate effect by ensuring strict and prompt compliance to the government directive by petroleum products marketers to rescue the pathetic and despicable situation.