Campaign for Democracy (CD) has told the Federal Government to burry outright the plan to increase pump price in the country.

It said Nigeria risks  mass action that could cripple the the entire democratic structure of the nation if the government eventually tampers with fuel price.

The group’s General Secretary, Pastor Ifeanyi Odili, conveyed the warning in a statement on Wednesday.

It  described the All Progressives Congress-led government’s plan to increase pump as inhumane, wicked and insensitive to the plight of Nigerians

According to the statement, “It could not be overemphasized that hunger and mass poverty had brought serious pains and havoc on Nigerians, which we feel that government should show concern about, but rather, it prefers to unleash more pains on the citizenry.To be frank with the government, we will mobilise Nigerians to vehemently oppose any plan by government of Nigeria to go ahead to inflict more pains on Nigerians.

“We want to assert here that it is sad to note that democracy has in Nigeria disappointed majority of Nigerian people. It is also sad that most of us who engaged the military dictators eye ball to eye ball have been disappointed with the handling of democracy. It is regrettable that the current pilots of Nigeria’s affairs are worse than the soldiers we sent away in terms of corruption, insensitivity to our plights and wickedness, nepotism, and brutal display of executive rascality.

“Above all, CD noted that a major threat to our national life is the organisation within the Federal structure called Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) under the leadership of Dr. kayode Fayemi, Governor of Ekiti state. While Nigerian masses are struggling to survive, NGF was busy planning another hardship on Nigerians by proposing to the Federal Government another wicked and killing fuel price.The CD vows to personally hold the governors responsible in their respective states if a dime is added to the price of fuel. We would turn the masses against them in their respective states.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, has promised to visit the perpetrators with full wrath of the law on the  killers of Alagado of Agodo in Ewekoro Local Government Area of the State, Oba Ayinde Odetola

Oba Odetola was assassinated on Monday before his corpse was taken to his vehicle while both his remains and the vehicle were set ablaze.

The Command Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi,  who disclosed this to newsmen,described the death of the monarch as callous.

He clarified  that it was only the traditional ruler  that was killed and later  set ablaze in his vehicle and not four people as being reported by some section of the media.

According to him, the remains of the Monarch has been retrieved by the Police while residents of the town have vacated the entire town because of the incident.

The Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG),has identified  some factors responsible for worsening economic crises threatening  full economic rebound in the country.

He said such factors include multiple macroeconomic challenges, exchange rate volatility, fiscal constraints, market distortions, high inflation, an unattractive investment environment (with security concerns at the core of investor reticence) as well as infrastructure deficits.”

He called on the government to address these impediments with a sense of urgency, noting that the implementation of immediate economic reforms must be prioritised to promote higher productivity, achieve economic efficiency, and deepen inclusive development.

“Long-standing issues such as effective deregulation of the downstream oil and gas sector, foreign exchange scarcity and pricing, export promotion, enhanced revenue generation without dampening entrepreneurial drive, acceleration of economic diversification and patient quality investment into priority sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, social,trade and information technology sectors, must be given the utmost attention in 2022,” he said.

Ighodalo expressed reservations in the implementation of key reforms to turn around the fortunes of the nation, in view of the fact that 2022 is a pre-election year.

According to him,election-related distractions will likely have the effect of amplifying the challenges experienced in 2021 if the government does not immediately move to stem the tide by implementing critical reforms.

He added “We believe that policies that directly impact the welfare, gainful employment and safety of our citizens and the performance, sustainability and job-creating potentials of our businesses, in the short term,  must be at the fore of government policies and actions in 2022.

“Being a pre-election year, 2022 will likely come with its peculiarities.First, increased election spending could motivate a tighter monetary policy stance to curb inflationary pressures.Secondly, attention may shift from effective governance to outright politicking.The pace of decision-making usually slows down in a pre-election year and reform pronouncements and implementation become difficult.

“Thirdly, the philosophical and political battles which will ensue as each party seeks to choose its presidential candidate and then convince the citizens that they are the party that will form the best government, may relegate focus on the economy and lead to the stagnation of our recovery,” he explained.

He advised  that proactive and swift actions should be taken by the government in the implementation of various reforms,preferably in the first quarter of 2022.

Hr  urged Nigerians to make careful choice with regard to various candidates and their political parties, to forestall plunging Nigeria into further economic morass.

According to him: “As campaigns begin to kick off for the general elections in 2023, we must pay very careful attention to the candidates that the political parties present.We, the people of Nigeria, must carefully consider the capacities, track record and love of the country demonstrated by each of these candidates.

“We must only reward with our votes those parties that put forward knowledgeable reformers; reformers who are creative, passionate, courageous and have shown with evidence of their life’s work, a genuine love for the people of Nigeria. At this time in our country’s trajectory, we cannot afford to be delinquent in this most basic civic responsibility.

“The cost of getting it wrong in 2023 is more than this great nation can or should bear. With just over a year left in office, the current administration must strive to leave behind a positive lasting legacy.

“The government still has the time, if it has the will, to create a solid foundation, and catalytic growth base for this country; and must continue to work hard to deal decisively with the challenges of poverty, unemployment, insecurity, social cohesion and macroeconomic instability.To secure the future of Nigeria, there can be no punting or denial of the fierce urgency of now.”

Speaking,Mr. Laoye Jaiyeola, Chief Executive Officer of NESG, emphasized  the need for macroeconomic stability, improvement of the Internally Generated Revenue(IGR) and addressing the nagging issue of fuel subsidy.

He pointed out that 40 percent of the population consumes 3percent of the petroleum products, adding that the continued retention of subsidy in the budgetary allocation is not sustainable.

Retirees in Ekiti State have sought God’s help  over unpaid N1.8billion gratuities by the state government.

The Nigerian Union of Pensioners (NUP) ,members  held an inter-denomination prayer session in Ado-Ekiti,where they revealed  that they had lost many of it’s members due to poor attitude of government to their plight.

Speaking, the  NUP Chairman, Mr. Joel Akinola said it was embarrasing that retirees had to wait for long  for their gratuities after meritorious services to their state .

He said :”We are here this morning to seek divine intervention in the affairs of pensioners, situation of things in Ekiti and Nigeria at large. We believe that there is nothing God can’t do. Out of nothing he can bring something out.We pensioners in Ekiti are facing a lot of challenges and where human efforts fail that of God can still work. That’s why we are coming together to seek the face of God.

“It’s absolutely embarrassing that our members who retired in 2012 haven’t collected their gratuities and many of us have died as a result of non-payment of gratuities. This thing is increasingly embarrassing not for us alone but also the state government. Gratuity is not a bonus but a fundamental rights. Gratuity is a right of pensioners either dead or alive. As I am talking to you now , for the state government, we are still having about N1.8bn gratuities still owing us. At the local government, we are having N19m. So, you see that it’s much”, he added.

He noted that the situation had left them impoverished so much that they find it difficult to afford daily sustenance or pay their children’s school fees, house rent, among other responsibilities.

The NUP boss lamented that  pensioners, who served the state  for 35 years are dying on daily basis as a result of non-payment of pension and gratuity of deserving former workers.

He accused the state government of deliberate neglect of pensioners in the state, demanding to know the crime the pensioners had committed that made the government to treat them like second class citizens.

He added:” Each time there is transition of power its often difficult to agitate or confront the new governor because they will be quick to tell you that they are not the one owing us, you can see the situation.”