*Warns labour against making u-turn
Chris Ochayi
06 January 2012, Sweetcrude, ABUJA – Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Thursday vowed to support the mass action scheduled for Monday by labour and pro-people civil society, if President Goodluck Jonathan fails to reverse the petrol price to N65, on or before Sunday 8 January 2012.
But the CNPP warned that it is “making this pledge hoping that Labour will not renege and compromise until President Jonathan reverses this ignoble decision.”
The CNPP which stated this via a statement issued in Abuja, by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, asked President Jonathan to listen to voice of reason and honour the demand of Labour and majority of Nigerians; by reversing the illegal pronouncement of removal of fuel subsidy made in error and in utter contravention of the PPPRA Act forthwith.
According to him, “we admonish President Goodluck Jonathan to muster all sense of humility, listen to voice of reason and honour the demand of Labour and majority of Nigerians; by reversing the illegal pronouncement of removal of Fuel Subsidy made in error and in utter contravention of the PPPRA Act forthwith.
“It is our considered view that this is the only panacea to save our fledgling democracy and our dear country from the unintended consequences of a protracted Mass Action; which may paralyze an already tensed polity.
“CNPP has in our 7-Point-Charter pointed out that Nigerians after being duped severally by successive regimes are not yet convinced that President Jonathan who is a senior member of the regime which squandered over $30 billion Excess Crude Account, and fraudulently jacked up Fuel Subsidy from N261 billion in 2006 to over N400 billion in 2008 and to crown it under his watch as president the Fuel Subsidy for no genuine reason spiraled from N600 billion in 2010 to N1.4 trillion in December 2011 cannot be trusted. Trust is the key to legitimacy.
“We agree with Federal Government argument that there is no gain without pain; however we cannot locate the pain of government officials when N300m for the purchase of crested wares-special marked plates, cups and cutleries is in the 2012 Budget submitted by President Jonathan to the National Assembly.
“It is with nostalgia that we recall how we pleaded with Labour not to support the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and by extension President Jonathan in the April elections; reminding them that the PDP’s economic policy is Food is Ready and their motto is share the money; which is 360 degrees at variance with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, clearly spelt out in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
