The leading opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has accused the Federal Government of an attempt to cover up a huge fraud by declaring that it spends N24 billion monthly (N774million per day) to subsidize fuel in the country.
The party described the figures as fictitious.
It said that the figures were cleverly fabricated to retire the already allegedly exposed stealing of trillions of naira by Presidency cabal and APC interests in secret oil deals.
The assertion is contained in a statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan.
“It is duplicitous for the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to claim a sudden surge in fuel purchase expenses at the same time that the nation faced the harshest fuel shortage across the country with Nigerians paying exorbitantly for the product.
“The APC-led Presidency is drawing its deceptive proclivity and concealment of fraud too far; and to think that such is hatched in a sector that is under the direct supervision of President Muhammadu Buhari as minister of petroleum affairs is most disheartening,” the party said.
The party said ironically, that was the same Presidency that claimed to have abolished fuel subsidy payments and even accused the immediate past administration of alleged corruption in its subsidy management.
It said it was therefore strange that the same government could allegedly pull out unimaginable figures and claim it was the cost of subsidy enjoyed by Nigerians.
The PDP queried: “How come that with such humongous sums, Nigerians are still paying as high as N250 to N300 per litre on fuel in various parts of the country?
“We have since charged the Buhari-led Presidency to come out clear on the truth on the administration of subsidy under its watch. The question is; why is the Federal Government cloaking the subsidy regime in secrecy if not to conceal its duplicity?
“Nigerians need to know who in the Presidency approved the spending of the said N774million per day as fuel subsidy and who are the benefiting companies? Is the subsidy captured in any appropriation instrument of the National Assembly? What is the cost of landing imported fuel to the depots and at what exchange rate? Where are the details of the subsidy pay-out and the negotiating options and contracts?”
