HURIWA accuses Tinubu of fuel price hikes to benefit cronies

The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has criticized the frequent increases in fuel prices, claiming that they are part of President Bola Tinubu’s agenda to enrich his associates rather than benefiting the average Nigerian.

In a statement issued over the weekend, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA’s national coordinator, accused the government of using the policy to reward political allies and business affiliates, leaving the nation’s poorest citizens to bear the brunt of the hikes.

 “The truth is that the incessant hikes in fuel and petroleum product prices were never meant to benefit the common people of Nigeria,” Onwubiko said.

He emphasized that the primary objective behind the repeated increases was to financially reward those close to the administration, rather than address the needs of the average citizen.

HURIWA’s statement pointed to the negative consequences these hikes have had on Nigeria’s poor, particularly the rising cost of essential food items.

“The hikes have led to instability in food prices, making it impossible for millions of impoverished households to afford basic foodstuffs. This has caused widespread malnutrition among children, mass hunger, and an increasing number of out-of-school children, contributing to untimely deaths,” Onwubiko said.

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The human rights group also expressed concern that while the Nigerian poor suffer, a few individuals in the oil and gas sector are reaping substantial profits.

HURIWA referenced publicly available data to support its claims, showing that oil companies listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) generated N2.97 trillion in revenue in the first nine months of 2024—an increase of 115% from N1.39 trillion during the same period in 2023.

Profit before tax for these companies surged to N626.3 billion, a staggering 384% increase compared to N129.43 billion in 2023.

The rights group called on oil and gas companies to take more responsibility by implementing corporate social initiatives aimed at alleviating the economic burdens on Nigerians.

“The business climate in Nigeria will become perilous if the oil and gas sector continues to profit from the suffering of the poor,” the statement warned. “If the poor can’t sleep because they are hungry, the rich will inevitably face unrest as angry citizens demand justice.”

In this context, HURIWA supported the Nigerian Labour Congress’s (NLC) recent claim that marketers, including Dangote Refinery, are conspiring to inflate fuel prices.

The NLC had, in a communiqué released following its National Executive Council meeting, accused the Dangote Group and other marketers of colluding to unfairly raise the price of petrol, further burdening Nigerians.

HURIWA echoed the NLC’s call for the immediate activation of Nigeria’s domestic refineries, particularly the Port Harcourt Refinery, as part of efforts to reduce dependency on imports and mitigate the ongoing price hikes.

rights group insists that reviving these refineries would help address both fuel price inflation and the broader economic instability caused by the persistent price increases.