The Coalition of United Political Parties CUPP has rejected the increase in fuel price approved by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency.
In a statement issued by the opposition spokesman, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, the opposition Coalition threatened to commence legal process against the decision by government.
“CUPP has received with shock and disbelief the decision of the Muhammadu Buhari administration to approve astronomical increase in fuel price at this time that Nigerians are already suffocating under the weight of numerous taxes. We therefore reject this senseless, heartless, insensitive and wicked increase in its entirety.The CUPP holds the view that this latest poison from the chalice of the All Progressives Congress’ government is meant to kill more Nigerians with suffering contrary to the oath Buhari swore to protect them.
We are therefore calling on this government to rescind this unpopular decision with immediate effect. Failure to do this, the CUPP will be taking a legal action to force this government to do so. Apart from the legal option, we shall also begin to reach out with a view to mobilising civil society organisations and organised groups for mass action. The Opposition Coalition Human Mobilisation head,Barr.Kenneth Udeze will in the days ahead start meeting with organised groups to mobilise them to be on same page with the Opposition”
The increase in fuel price come about a day after the increase in electricity tariff was also announced.
Ugochinyere urged Nigerians to be ready to take active part in the proposed mass civil action in case the Federal Government, in its usual style, turns a deaf ears the CUPP’s call.
Meanwhile, the dust raised from the Companies and Allied Matters Act signed into law is yet to settle. Ugochinyere said The law that allows government to hijack a Muslim or Christian religious body without express order of a court is nothing but an invitation to anarchy, religious war, religious division and destruction of national cohesion and threat to national unity and harmony and can best be described as an evil law which must not be allowed to stand.
Ugochinyere noted that Nigerians woke up to the rude realization that the APC in cahoots with their members in the National Assembly had secretly inserted and passed as amendments obnoxious sections into the Companies and Allied Matters Act(CAMA) which has been hurriedly signed into law.
He said….
“The new CAMA law and how the mysterious sections which attack the very sacred foundations of God given right to freedom of worship, association and speech alongside the right of believers to have their spiritual leaders and their doctrine sacredly pursued is a shock to the opposition family.
We agree that some religious bodies and their outfits might not have lived up to expectation but that is not enough reason for the APC government to hide under a mysterious amendment to attempt to choose who owns and governs religious bodies, determine religions and doctrines for people, take over the finances of religious bodies, disburse their funds as they do public funds they have been stealing, dictate who gets what or not including the outrageous plan by APC led Federal govt to seize money contributed voluntarily by christian and musilm organisations/members in pursuit of their spiritual beliefs and disburse these holy funds to any organisation without the consent of the owners of these funds.What a sacrilege”.
CUPP Spokesman stated that laws are for peace and good governance and not to cause anarchy, violence and desolation.
“We must understand that the funds contributed by Religious organisations and their members are private voluntary funds raised by Religious organisations for their specific religious pursuits and not a subvention from government and cannot be hijacked by the government without an order of a court and cannot also be taken by government and dashed out to any other organisation without considering the interest of those religious groups that voluntarily raised these funds”.
Although he agreed, that there is need for regulation of activities of religious groups but that can be done by enacting laws for religious self regulatory bodies like the way lawyers under NBA,NMA,Financial professional bodies self regulate and not a direct take over and subjugation of the Christain and Musilm bodies and their outfits.
