Sylvester Idowu in Warri
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has urged the federal government to shun demand by the World Bank to jack up the price of petrol to N750/litre.
The former governorship aspirant in the state made the appeal at the weekend while addressing a press conference in his office in Warri, Delta State.
He said it was unfortunate that the World Bank and IMF now sit to determine Nigerians’ fate and how to run the country’s economy.
Onuesoke alleged that the institutions have continued to destroy the Nigerian economy with their theoretical ideology of a balanced and liberal market which has never recorded any success.
According to him, “The World Bank and the IMF have never meant well for any African country. It’s this same World Bank, during Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, that kept on hammering that fuel subsidy must be removed when they know there is no concrete substitute (for example no refinery not working) to cushion its effects on the masses.
“The IMF on the other hand does nothing but give stupid and nonsensical advice to policy makers in African countries on monetary tightening like increasing taxes and devaluation of their currencies -when they already know the effects on the already beaten and battered citizenry.”
He stated that the fuel increase which President Tinubu did on assumption of office is presently hunting Nigeria with high inflation rate coupled with hunger biting harder on the masses, who were already impoverished with unfriendly government economic policies.
Onuesoke stressed that any attempt to increase the fuel price as suggested by the World Bank would totally make life unbearable for Nigerians.
The PDP chieftain, who said World Bank and IMF were set up by the slave masters to impoverish African countries and keep them on their leash forever, cautioned them to steer clear of Nigerian economic policies and allow the country to implement its own policies that will be of benefit to its citizens.
He advised that if the World Bank is serious in creating a good living condition for Nigerians, it should not only be interested in fixing bench marks on fuel prices in Nigeria alone, but should equally fix benchmarks on minimum wage and other government social responsibilities as it is obtained in the developed world.
