Controversial Senator representing Kogi West, Dino Melaye has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Muhammadu Buhari to reverse the policy removing fuel subsidy or face ‘the mother of all protests’.
In a statement by the Senator on Thursday, Melaye, advised the chairman of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) which is also the president’s party, John Odigie-Oyegun to call the country’s number one citizen to order or else he (Melaye) won’t stand by and let such disastrous policy destroy his people.
The time is not right and the negative effects will be unbearable. A word is enough for the wise.” Recall that to douse tension in the country, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu, defended the increment in pump price, saying it was the only way out of the exorbitant prices of N150 to N250 Nigerians were subjected to at many filling stations across the country. Also recall that Senator Melaye was one of the most vociferous voices which kicked against the removal of petrol subsidy by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2012.
Then, Jonathan increased the pump price of petrol from N65 to N141 per litre. Following massive protests across the country, ex-President Jonathan reduced the pump price to N97 per litre. Towards the twilight of his administration, last year, Jonathan further reduced pump price to N87 per litre. It was incumbent President Buhari that reduced pump price from N87 to N86.50 per litre. But in a dramatic u-turn, the President increased pump price yesterday to N145 per litre.