“Reduce Petrol and Electricity Price Now”, SERAP Tells President Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has been told to immediately reduce petrol and electricity price or face court action and anger of Nigerians.

Foremost rights group, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) who made this call against the background of recent increments of petrol and electricity price described the move by government as insensitive and retrogressive measures against the Nigerian people, TheConscience reports.

In a statement on Wednesday signed by Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP deputy director said: “This is unjust to many people living in extreme poverty, and entirely incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution of 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations,” SERAP said.

SERAP said the increase in petrol and electricity price will endanger lives and increase inequality and poverty exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.

“SERAP will challenge this travesty in court if the Federal Government does not immediately drop these retrogressive measures against the Nigerian people,” the statement added.

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This online newspaper gathers that the group pointed out that the hike clearly violates the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which the country is a state party.

SERAP called on President Buhari “to immediately drop the misguided hike,” on petrol and electricity price and put in place an independent impact assessment of the increases on the poorest segments of society.

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The group also wants President Buhari to identify alternative measures, “such as cutting the bogus allowances of people in the Presidency and members of the National Assembly.”

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It urged the President to, without further delay, reconsider the arbitrary measures his government has taken and put human rights at the centre of his administration policies.