President Muhammadu Buhari has defended the current price of fuel in the
country, stating that a responsible government must face realities.
In his Independence Day Speech, President Buhari stated that while
petroleum prices are to be adjusted, the government must take tough
decisions.
The president compared the oil price in Nigeria to those of neighbouring
countries, arguing that it makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in
Nigeria than it is in other oil-producing nations.
Buhari said, “Petroleum prices in Nigeria are to be adjusted. We sell
now at N161 per litre. A comparison with our neighbours will illustrate
the point;
Chad which is an oil-producing country charges N362 per litre
Niger, also an oil-producing country sells 1 litre at N346.
In Ghana, another oil-producing country, the petroleum pump price is
N326 per litre.
Further afield, Egypt charges N211 per litre. Saudi Arabia charges N168
per litre.
“It makes no sense for oil to be cheaper in Nigeria than in Saudi
Arabia”.
The president called for a sincere process of national healing as the
nation marks the 60th anniversary of its independence from Great
Britain.
The healing, the President said, is necessary as the nation has
consistently focused on “contrived fault-lines” that have been “allowed
unnecessarily to fester.”
“We need to begin a sincere process of national healing and this
anniversary presents a genuine opportunity to eliminate old and outworn
perceptions that are always put to test in the lie they always are,” the
President said.
He argued that to achieve a desired great country, the nation needs to
solidify its strength, adding that the citizens must increase their
commitment and encourage each other to do that which is right and proper
even when no one is watching.