CSO kicks against abrupt removal of subsidy by Tinubu

A Civil Society Organisation, Free Nigeria Movement, on Thursday kicked against the hasty removal of fuel subsidy by administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

President Tinubu had during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023 announced that the era of fuel subsidy “is gone”.

Briefing newsmen in Abuja, the Convener of the group, Dr. Moses Paul, rejected the hasty removal of petroleum subsidy without provision for palliatives for Nigerians by President Tinubu just after he took his oath of office.

The Convener, who described abrupt removal of fuel subsidy by President Tinubu as dictatorial, added that the hurry without any consideration of what cushioning mechanisms would be put in place to lessen the agony of our vast poor demography is most worrisome.

Lamenting, the Convener said: “The President, whose ascension to power awaits confirmation by the courts, has by this pronouncement inspired the longstanding greed in the petroleum industry with the NNPC Limited shamelessly leading the way by its immediate release of upwardly reviewed pump price of between N488 and N557 in a nearly 200 per cent nationwide hike.

“An uncharitable move given the enormity of anguish experienced by Nigerians during the currency crunch of the Naira Redesign Policy barely three months ago.

“Add this to the trauma of Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu and INEC’s misappropriation of public trust, and what you have is a nation gasping for life.

“We cannot continue to round the circle of pain.

“We must find a way out of a vicious existence where the worst or the best never happens.

“Nigeria must grow high and above individuals and institutions that attend only to the needs of a privileged few.

“This is our country and must respond to all as it does to some.

“Neither the president, the Vice-President, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the State Governors, their aides, other top federal, state and local government functionaries nor their family members will directly be impacted by this unfortunate pronouncement as they have privileges which neither you nor we enjoy.”