The Muhammadu Buhari-led government has again blamed external forces for the rising food and fuel prices in the country, saying it is a global phenomenon.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, described the rising prices of petroleum products in the country as a global problem.
The minister who spoke at a press conference in Abuja said those who compared the prices of food in the past administration and the current Buhari regime were mischief makers adding that the same problems were faced by advanced countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States.
He had said, “The last issue I want to address is the figures being bandied around by the folks on the other side and a section of the press, comparing the prices of some foodstuffs, petrol, diesel, etc pre-2015 and now.
“This misuse of statistics is clear mischief. Those who bandy around these figures without putting them in context are being clever by half. Let’s take the price of foodstuffs and petrol. Google the price of foodstuffs in other countries, especially the UK and the US, and you will discover a steep rise; ditto for the price of gas or petrol. What we are saying is that this increase is a global trend, and it’s not limited to any country.
“Therefore, presenting it as a Nigerian problem is mischievous, disingenuous and a clear act of misinformation; let me add that the crippling fuel shortage experienced across the country in recent times has started easing, as the measures put in place by the government begin to work.”
Since February 2022, Nigeria has been battling with fuel scarcity following the discovery of 100 million litres of imported petrol in the supply chain with “methanol quantities above Nigeria’s specifications.”
The bad fuel damaged many vehicles and generators, leading to an emergency withdrawal of volumes of the product.