CNPP to protest against President Buhari-led government over hike in petrol price

Conference of Nigeria Political Parties (CNPP) has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari over the increase in the price of petrol, according to a news report by Naija News.

CNPP has also noted that it is ready for mass action against President Buhari-led government.

The group stated it has mobilised a coalition of civil society groups to join labour movements such as the Trade Union Congress, TUC and the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, to join the protest against the recent hike in petrol pump price and electricity tariff. CNPP stated this in a statement released through its Secretary-General, Chief Willy Ezugwu.

The coalition stated that it is high time it told the Nigerian government that the people have run out of patience after five years of experiments with the current administration.

CNPP maintained that the Federal Government is now taking the citizens for a ride.

"First the government increased the fuel pump price to N145 per litre, and Nigerians were told that the government has deregulated the petroleum sector to allow the market forces to determine the price of petrol," the statement said.

The political parties lamented that the government, instead of allowing the market forces to determine the price of petrol, has been fixing the price of fuel for marketers.

"As if that was not bad enough, the federal government increased the Value Added Tax (VAT) and in the midst of the hardship resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, electricity tariff was also increased at a time Nigerians were demanding that the federal government should, as part of the pandemic palliative, give free electricity to citizens," it added.

 It noted that every government in the world is subsidizing one sector or the other to better the lives of its citizens.