Senate backs petrol price hike; as Reps differ

The Senate, Tuesday, voted in support of the Federal Government’s decision to increase pump price of petrol, even the lawmakers advised the President Muhammadu Buhari-administration to put in place palliatives measures to cushion the effects on poor Nigerians.
However, the House of Representatives, also Tuesday, differed on the action by government as the lower chambers called on President Buhari to reverse petrol price resign.
The Upper Chamber’s decision was contained in the resolution read at the end of a 65-minute executive session on the fuel increase by the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu who presided over the plenary.
The senate expressed sympathy with Nigerians on the level of hardship in the country and pledged to engage the Federal Government to find sustainable ways to improve on the welfare of the citizens.
The senate also asked the executive to engage the Labour leaders in order to address the issue.
Ekweremadu said, “The Senate in a closed session deliberated on the increase in the pump price of PMS by the Federal Government and the threats by the organised Labour to embark on a nationwide strike over the matter and resolved as follows:
“That we sympathise with ordinary people of Nigeria on the hardships they are going through, the senate will engage the federal government to find sustainable ways of improving the welfare of the people of Nigeria.
“That we call on government to continue to engage the organised labour and other stakeholders to resolve issues in other not ground the system and impose more hardships on our people.
“That government should immediately start implementing palliatives or palliative measures contained in the 2016 appropriation act passed by the National Assembly.”
Meanwhile, Chairman, House Committee on Agricultural Colleges and institutions in the House of Representatives, Hon. Linus Okorie, has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately reverse the pump price of petrol or resign his position as the President because he has abused the integrity for which he was elected.
Okorie noted that having purportedly opposed and described the liberalization of the downstream sector as a “fraud” during the past administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, Buhari has committed a fraud against the nation and should vacate his seat.
He stated these at the opening ceremony of a three-day Vitamin A Cassava and Vitamin A Maize enlightenment/ empowerment programme he organized for some rural farmers held at Ishiagu Civic Centre in Ivo local government area of Ebonyi State.