Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, has slammed President Muhammadu Buhari for junketing amid biting fuel scarcity and killings by armed men terrorising the country.
The group said it is unbelievable and unfathomable that Nigeria is practically on fire but the person elected to provide leadership and build the nation is displaying the incredible tendency of someone who doesn’t give a damn even if the nation comes crumbling.
HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement, lamented that the regime of Buhari has successfully handed over the governance of Nigeria to cabals who terrorise citizens economically, sociologically, psychologically and security-wise.
For over a month in Abuja now, queues have resurfaced at fuel stations and the price per litre of diesel rises above N800 as petrol now sells for over N180 per litre but it is still very difficult to get the products at filling stations.
In Lagos State, motorists have faced gruelling long queues to fill up their tanks for a week now, with an increasing loss of faith that the situation can ever improve as hoodlums and fuel dealers are alleged to be benefitting from the sufferings of Nigerians
Reacting, HURIWA’s Onwubiko said, “It is shameful that the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari has not been able to tackle just one of the challenges of the country that he listed as his campaign promises but has aggravated the sufferings of Nigerians even worse than it was in May 2015 when he took over.
“Economically, Nigerians are in a coma, security-wise, the country is suffocating from the oppression of terrorists. Electricity Power has been in shambles. The judiciary is rickety. No fuel supply; no active refinery despite the humongous billions dedicated to reviving the nation’s four refineries.
“HURIWA is forced to think that the government of the day is a rogue government that has handed over to cabals to torment Nigerians, using the refinery as a cash cow and divesting the money to something else.
”HURIWA is forced to think that government officials are into cash rituals because it is unthinkable that a permanent solution has not been provided to the fuel issue despite that Nigeria is blessed with abundant crude oil and billions of dollars have been committed to the refinery project that has not seen the light of the day.
“More shameless is the fact that the President is fond of jetting out of the country amid national emergencies. So far this year, he has travelled overseas for about 10 times and is presently in Kigali, Rwanda for the 26th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
”HURIWA makes bold to say that the President has not demonstrated any sign of responsible leadership because good leaders don’t abandon their followers amid crises.
“It is important that the Federal Government end the corrupt monopoly enjoyed by Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation as sole importer and supplier of petroleum products into the country.
”The process must be decentralised for oil marketers to participate fairly and assuage the groanings of Nigerians who are suffering from a lack of power and fuel to power their businesses.
“HURIWA calls on the Federal Government to solve the lingering fuel crisis immediately and urged civil society organisations and students to embark on a mass protest against the unfeeling government of Buhari.
“Nigerians must say, ‘No’, to perpetual suffering. Enough is enough. Enough of irresponsible leadership and corruption-coated administration fighting façade graft.”
