The Peoples Democratic Party has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of shielding the leaders involved in the importation of adulterated fuel into the country.
The party called for an investigation into reports of how “APC leaders allegedly connived with foreign interests to import very cheap heavily contaminated fuel laden with methanol, in their desperation to defraud Nigerians and corruptly raise billions of naira to fund the APC National Convention and rigging of the 2023 general elections”.
It said it is now crystal clear that APC leaders are frenziedly seeking ways to steal money to fund their 2023 rigging scheme since the PDP and well-meaning Nigerians “exposed and challenged their plots to siphon a staggering N2.557 trillion padded as fuel subsidy for 2022.”
The party said this in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, titled: ‘PDP Slams APC For Shielding APC Leaders Involved in Importation of Toxic Fuel… Demands Independent Inquest to Expose Culprits’.
The statement read in part, “The PDP strongly condemns these despicable acts by APC leaders, which further expose the impunity and wickedness of the APC towards Nigerians.
“The inclination for official concealment ostensibly informed the refusal by the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, on national television on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, to name those involved in the importation of the poisonous fuel into our country.
“Against this backdrop, the PDP rejects the announced internal investigation of this terrible crime by the government as the APC administration cannot be trusted given its manifest predilection to shield the APC leaders involved. Nigerians note the various investigations instituted by the APC government in the past which ended without any meaningful outcome; notable among which was the manipulated EndSARS Report.”
The PDP stated that all documents must be made public concerning the importation of the adulterated fuel, adding that “those involved must be exposed and held accountable”.
“Where was the toxic fuel imported from? Which company is the pre-inspection agent? How much was paid for the very cheap contaminated fuel and through which banks were payment effected? All documents relating to the transaction must be made public.
“Our Party insists that President Muhammadu Buhari, as the Minister of Petroleum Resources, cannot acquit himself with his reported comedy of anger, buck-passing, querying of subordinates and attempt by the government to use some companies as scapegoats, instead of accepting responsibility by exposing and naming individuals involved in the crime,” the PDP said.
The party said President Buhari and the APC must explain how the reported 317 million litres of adulterated fuel came into the country, got cleared and distributed across the nation.
“Apart from the consequential economic hardship occasioned by the damaging of cars and equipment, crippling of means of livelihood across the country, as well as increase in the cost of food items and essential services, the cascading effect of adulterated fuel on our aviation industry can only be imagined.
“Sadly, the situation has the possibility to trigger loss of confidence by international airlines, in our aviation fuel supply with attendant economic downturn as they would more likely prefer to fuel in neighbouring countries.
“Our Party calls on all Nigerians, particularly the Organised Labour, Civil Society, Student Bodies, Professional Bodies, and all persons of goodwill, to insist on an independent inquiry of this crime against the Nigerian people.
“In any case, the PDP strongly cautions the APC and its corrupt government to note that they are practically pushing Nigerians to the wall and there is a limit to which the people can continue to stomach the barefaced atrocities and impunities of the APC.”