ABUJA-An anti-corruption group, Citizens Awareness Against Corruption and Social Vices Initiative, CAACASVI, has blamed marketers for the ongoing fuel crisis in Nigeria, saying there were aggravating the issue by arbitrarily selling the product beyond the recommended pump price.
The organization tasked Nigerians not to blame President Muhammadu Buhari for the scarcity of the product, saying the failure of some relevant agencies to do their work well was the primary cause of the development.
It alleged that apart from the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Abuja, where it noted, fuel was being sold at recommended pump price, the situation was different in other parts of the country.
To this end,CAACASVI,in a statement, Friday, through its Executive Director, Comrade Olumuyiwa Onlede, said it has resolved to protest the situation.
The group said the protest was also to drum support for the overhaul of some government agencies that have failed to do their jobs well.
“Our findings show that it is only in FCT that marketers are adhering to the official pump price of N165 per litre and this is due to the closeness to the seat of power, every other state in Nigeria is experiencing a long queue and exploitation.
“As we speak today, fuel is being sold in filling stations beyond the official pump price, for example in Kaduna State a litre of fuel sells for between #250 to #280, the situation is the same in Sokoto, Ibadan, Oshogbo,Uyo,Calabar,Imo,Enugu and Port Harcourt to mention a few,”CAACASVI said.
The group regretted thus: “It is so sad that as citizens and civil society organisation our attention is always on the president for blame game thereby giving non performing appointees the leverage to always work at parallel line with the president.
“We must change this attitude if the kind of precarious situation we find ourselves as a nation must change,”it warned.
It further added:”We will not relent on our effort in fighting for the good of the country and her people by demanding for a change of baton in nonperforming agencies NNPC Limited inclusive, as we believe that this is the only way we can have the present situation overturned.”
The group which had earlier threatened to mobilise protest if the fuel crisis was not resolved in seven days,said,”Having exhausted the seven days ultimatum for the management of NNPC limited to make fuel readily available without long queue, it is now pertinent for us to mobilise likemind Civil Society Organisations and patriotic Nigerians across the country for a peaceful protest in selected states in the six geopolitical zones of the country”
to demand that the president overhaul the corporation.
