The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, PFN) has cautioned the Federal Government of Nigeria on its proposed hike in the price of petroleum. Information Guide Nigeria 

THE AUTHORITY reports that PFN warned that such a step would worsen the suffering of the already impoverished majority of Nigerians.

The President of PFN, Bishop Wale Oke gave the warning in a statement issued on Sunday on the proposed subsidy removal.

According to THE AUTHORITY, Bishop Wale Oke called on the government to shelve the proposed policy in order not to worsen the hardship and trigger crisis in the country.

Oke emphasised that implementing such a proposed price hike would lead to a corresponding hike in the prices of goods and services, which would increase the hardship currently being experienced by the people of the country.

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According to THE AUTHORITY, the statement reads, “Everybody will feel it, particularly the less privileged. The negative effects will surely outweigh the positive.

“The cost of transportation for human and goods across the country will skyrocket and other things connected which will have a spiral effect on general living standard of the populace; the suffering will be multi-dimensional. Please let all stakeholders be sensitive to this avoidable path and do the needful. Jamb Results

“By whatever means, let the Federal Government put its heart into ensuring that our refineries are back to life. In addition, in order to stem the rising cost of living, farmers and others connected to them should be encouraged. This is what can help our economy.”

“Without begging the issue, there should be well-defined palliative measures in place that can cushion the effect of the hardship being experienced by Nigerians, especially the commoners. One is not talking about political palliatives that never last. We have seen enough of such.

“An increase in the price of petroleum from its present N165 to N340 per litre can trigger tension and crises in the country which in turn can paralyse our economy if not handled with utmost care.

THE AUTHORITY reports that Bishop Oke also criticised the Federal Government’s plan to pay N5,000 to 40 million to the poor to cushion the expectant hardship from the price hike adding that it could open another channel of corruption.

“How do you define the poor? They mostly, don’t use telephones. They, mostly, don’t have bank accounts. How will the money get to them?”