Atiku Abubakar’s Spokesperson Challenges APC Government to Disclose Petrol Pricing Template Amid Subsidy Controversy
ABUJA/Nigeria: Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, has called on the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government to make public the petrol landing cost and pricing template, while refuting claims of petroleum sector deregulation.
In response to a press release by the National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, Atiku’s aide, Phrank Shaibu, has vehemently challenged the government’s stance on the purported deregulation of the petroleum sector and the existence of fuel subsidies.
Shaibu insisted that, “The Petroleum Industry Act mandates the total deregulation of the petroleum sector. A deregulated regime has no room for price control. If the APC is saying subsidy is not back, they should explain how petrol is still being sold at less than N650 per litre when the international price of crude oil is about $94 per barrel and the exchange rate on the I&E Window is N780/$1 and N1,000/$1 on the parallel market.”
He further questioned the disparity in pricing, stating, “How is it that diesel, which has been deregulated, currently costs about N1,000 per litre while petrol is over 25% less? Let the APC explain and stop peddling lies.”
Shaibu also pointed out what he perceived as contradictions within the APC-led government, alleging, “The same APC that praised Godwin Emefiele for eight years and deceived Nigerians with propaganda and their so-called agricultural revolution have gone ahead to sack the same Emefiele and detain him for four months.”
He continued, “The same APC that claimed to have fought corruption has now gone ahead to detain the man in charge of the anti-corruption war, Abdulrasheed Bawa, for four months. You can see that these people are nothing but barefaced liars and deceivers.”
Regarding political appointments and governance, Shaibu criticized the APC’s actions, stating, “Tinubu claimed he wanted to cut the cost of governance and yet appointed 48 ministers out of which 10 are from his region. Yet the APC claims he is running a fair administration. This is laughable.”
He further added, “Adams Oshiomhole even said last month that Tinubu inherited a bad situation. How can a maggot criticize the fly that gave birth to it?”
Shaibu concluded by calling for a shift from propaganda to meaningful governance, asserting that the patience of Nigerians was wearing thin. He cited economic challenges and the loss of Nigeria’s status as the largest oil producer in Africa as indications of the APC’s perceived failure.
Furthermore, he criticized former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu for allegedly misleading the public about a meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and for his unannounced travel to Paris, terming it “shameful” and “a joke.”
