Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) on Thursday, slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for promising to consider the solicitation by the Republic of Burundi for premium motor spirit also known as petrol.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement said it is ‘shameful and insensitively wicked’ for the Nigerian leader to vow to mull fuel supply to an African nation when the proprietors of the assets are groaning in need and intense shortage of petroleum.
Recalling, Buhari gave the assurances on Tuesday when he received the Special Envoy of President Evariste Ndayishimiye.
Onwubiko said, “For about three consecutive months now, Nigerians have groaned under the scarcity of fuel supplies. The development has caused unimaginable hardship for commuters and the motoring public who scamper for fuel from the black market.
“Yet, President Buhari promised to consider Burundi’s request for fuel. What a fallacy! A big joke! Cruelly insensitive too!
“To add salt to injury, the regime of the President, who is also the Minister of Petroleum, said fuel subsidy will be removed by June 2023 whereas the bogus amount budgeted for subsidy in the last eight years cannot be accounted for.
“It is unfortunate that despite his campaign promises in 2015 to make the country’s refineries work, Buhari has not done so as the refineries remain moribund while oil theft, the gross graft by oil cartel, illegal price differential and the bogus subsidy regime continue unchecked.
“Yet, no one has been arrested and prosecuted. What a shame! Nigerians will remember Buhari for these many failures and hardships and won’t make the same mistake in the February 25 presidential election. Nigeria needs an empathic leader, not some highfalutin, manifesto-trumpeting leader.”
