By FRED EZEH, Abuja

Acoalition of Niger Delta groups have threatened to carry out an unfriendly mass action against the Federal Government over its alleged plans to hike fuel price from current price of N162 to N385 per litre.

The civil society groups alleged that the Group Managing Director of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mele Kyari, has been under pressure from the governors to endorse the planned hike or they would blackmail him and plan his exit from office.

The groups registered their disappointment with the attitude of the governors in taking such a decision, which, they predicted, would have adverse effect on economy and livelihood of Nigerians.

They condemned the move, describing it as insensitive, and called on the Federal Government, National Economic Council (NEC), and the NNPC to disregard the “anti-people” proposal of the governors as its acceptance will further heat up the country.

President, Ogoni Liberation Initiative (OLI), Dr Douglas Fabeke, who addressed journalists on behalf of the groups in Abuja, said that reliable information available to them indicated that the governors captured the matter as an agenda for their next meeting scheduled to hold in Abuja.

He said: “We have uncovered an underground plan to influence President Muhammadu Buhari to remove the NNPC GMD for refusing to approve the N380 per litre price, and also his commitment to addressing all the bad things that happened in the system and make a sustainable change in the oil and gas Industry.” (Saturday SUN)