FUEL SUBSIDY: APGA LAMBASTS ABIA HOUSE OVER RESOLUTION

By NBF News

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Abia State, has lampooned the State House of Assembly over the resolution its passed to support the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.

Abia State House of Assembly reportedly passed a resolution last week supporting the removal of subsidy on fuel by the Federal Government beginning from April next year, citing some perceived advantages as reason.

APGA, in a release signed by Prince Nnanna Ukaegbu and Chief Sunday Evuru, state chairman and secretary respectively, described the passage of the resolution as not only unfortunate but irresponsible coming from a House that had shown it was not capable of appreciating the task before it. The party said it was regrettable that the Abia State House of Assembly by that singular action had lost sight of its functions and had turned itself into a rubber stamp of the executive, stressing that the House undertook the passage of the removal of fuel subsidy to attract the attention of Mr. President.

APGA said the removal of fuel subsidy was a highly sensitive and emotive issue, which explained why the National Assembly was approaching it with caution, only to be trivialized by the Abia State House of Assembly, accusing its members of being out of touch few months into their tenure.

According to the party, 'the said resolution is not just unfortunate but irresponsible coming from a House that has shown itself incapable of appreciating of the task before it, functions, expectations of its constituents and had ostensibly turned itself into a rubber stamp of the executive, abdicating its oversight functions and thus allowing the state to drift.

'Fuel subsidy removal is a highly sensitive and emotive issue, which explains the cautious and meticulous approach of the National Assembly to it and to have it trivialized by the Abia House which in the main appears out of touch few months into its tenure with the feeling, yearning and the positions of the masses of the state is sad.'

The release further stated that APGA's position on removal of fuel subsidy was clear, restating its earlier call on the Federal Government to first put in place measures that would minimize the impact of higher pump price on petroleum products in the aftermath of subsidy removal and the resultant hike in goods and services across the country.

While calling on President Goodluck Jonathan to treat the resolution of the House with ignominy, but rather declare without further delay a state of emergency in the petroleum sector, APGA reminded the Abia House of Assembly that, 'government exists for the people and not the order way round.'