APC has no plan to stimulate domestic crude refining – PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday berated the All Progressives Congress (APC) over its poor handling of the country’s oil and gas challenges.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, who addressed journalists at a news conference on Tuesday in Abuja, said the ruling party has no plan to stimulate the refining of crude oil in the country.

Ologunagba was reacting to President Bola Tinubu Monday’s national broadcast on fuel subsidy removal.

He said: “It is instructive to observe from the speech that the APC has no marshal plan to stimulate domestic crude refining as an answer to the crippling energy and manufacturing deficits in the country, instead the APC has committed our nation to the mercies of foreign interests and market forces.

“The submission in the speech that there are no other ways but for Nigerians to suffer hardship and high costs further exposes APCs scandalous cluelessness, lack of capacity and deficiency of innovative ideas to effectively steady and manage a nation like Nigeria.

“It also shows APC’s insensitivity to the suffering of Nigerians and lackadaisical approach to serious issues of governance. It is like the case of you take it or leave it! The APC should know that there is frustration in the society in the face of its apparent lack of ideas and leadership focus.

“Even with the removal of subsidy on petroleum products, the PDP restates that with a deft, transparent, and innovative management of resources, economic potentials, national comparative advantage, and expanded value chain in refining capacity, fuel should not sell for more than N150 per litre in the country.”

He also decried the Federal Government’s plan to invest N100 billion on 3000 units of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-fuelled buses to ease transportation problems in the country.

READ ALSO: Subsidy: Brace up for more pains, PDP tells Nigerians

The PDP spokesman added: “Rather than stimulate domestic crude production of CNG-fueled and alternative transportation system, the APC was planning to spend a whooping N100 billion to acquire 3000 units of 20-seater buses for over 120 million Nigerians who relied on public transportation.

“This will amount to 3 units of 20-seater buses for an average of 100,000 public transport commuters in each of the 774 Local Government Areas across the country. This shows that the APC is completely disconnected from reality and lacks the capacity to manage a country as complex as Nigeria.

“It is pertinent to observe that the speech had no provision for riverine and coastal transportation as well as haulage which in itself is the mainstay and driver of Nigeria’s trade, commerce, agriculture, and industrial sectors.

“In any case, the PDP charges Nigerians not to despair over the new challenges presented by the speech but to remain calm and continue to support one another at this perilous time while hoping in the judiciary to restore their mandate for the enthronement of a purposeful, people-oriented and effective administration that will work only for the interest of the people.”

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