An obviously relieved Oshiomhole who was dressed in a dark blue kaftan, instead of his usual grey khaki suit, while speaking to State House correspondents said that he used the opportunity to commend President Buhari for slashing petrol price to N125 per litre in view of the global drop in crude oil price.
He said that the action of the President was unprecedented, adding that the crash in the international market of the price of crude oil has become a blessing to Nigerians.
Oshiomhole, who was still relishing on the euphoria of his victory against his traducers said that Ajimobi’s appointment to the position of deputy chairman was a popular decision of the Southwest region.
According to him, democracy allows for the dissent by Ekiti State but also allows the majority, being the other five Southwest States, to have their way.
He said, “I came essentially to present the former governor of Ogun State, Abiola Ajimobi whom the South West has nominated to fill the void arising from the vacancy of the Deputy National Chairman, South, created by the appointment of the minister of Industry, Trade and Investment.
“Of course, Mr President already knows him, he hosted us a couple of times when he was governor of Oyo State and played a pioneering role in the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“Obviously, he is not a stranger to the President, it’s just a way of formality that I have to present him. Mr President was delighted that someone with his background – a complete gentleman, he has been in the oil industry, a senator and a two-term governor.
“So he will bring on board a wealth of experience that will help to reinforce the quality of leadership of the All Progressives Congress.
” But I also appreciate the fact that a couple of decisions the President has taken this week that in my view are profound but I don’t think they have attracted the kind of commendations.
“For example, the decision of Mr President to reduce the price of petroleum products – PMS, AGO and other products because of the sharp drop in the price of crude oil. In another word, not just passing the burden of oil price when they go up but also passing the benefit when they go down.
“I do remember, as a member of the economic crisis management under the leadership of late President Yar’adua, governor Fashola and I were part of that committee and we pleaded with the then President when the oil price dropped to $30 and below, that the benefit of the drop should be passed unto the Nigerian people, but the then Minister of Petroleum Resources was unable to come out with any figure, though the price of crude oil dropped the benefit didn’t pass to the Nigerian people.
“So I commend the President for passing the benefit to the Nigerian people for approving the drop in the oil price so that Nigerians can really benefit from both the negative and positive side of the drop -which is that the cost of PMS has dropped.
“We will also have some reduction in the cost of transportation because we expect people to pass it down particularly at this time because of the Coronavirus there are a couple of economic activities that are affected.”
He commended what he described as prompt proactive steps taken by the CBN by making funds available to support businesses that are affected by the Coronavirus.
“And everywhere around the world government are rising to the occasion and I am happy that Nigeria under President Muhammadu Buhari has also taken a bold step to not only protecting Nigerians by stopping foreign airlines, from flying into the country particularly from the high-risk countries with the pandemic along with other measures which will help to curtail it.
“These are challenging times and our president is showing leadership just as we expect of him, putting Nigeria first, supporting businesses and passing not just the burden of the drop in oil price, but the benefit of that drop.
“Having been active in this politics of oil pricing, this is the first time a Nigerian President without a strike, without protest, without editorials, without commentators, by his own conviction he says this drip in the price of crude must be reflected in a drop in the price of PMS. For us, as party leaders, we think he deserves commendation,” he said.
When Ajimobi was asked on his reaction to the protest by the Publicity Secretary of APC in Ekiti State that they don’t accept him as the Deputy National Chairman South, Oshiomhole interjected and said that it was only one out of the five states from South West that opposed the nomination.
He said, “I don’t think it’s fair to put this question to him. We are in a democracy, we have six states in the South West, and this position is zones to the South West.
“The South West has met, and there were five states in support and one state (Ekiti) opposing both at governorship level and at the party’s structural level.
” The name of the game is like the Ekiti State Chairman has said, ’minority will have their say’ and he has enjoyed that right to have his say, but he can’t prevent the majority from having their way. I think that is it.”
Credits: Vanguard