President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has said that he would also be a part of it if the Nigeria Labour Congress decides to embark on protest over the removal of petroleum subsidy.
Tinubu said this on Friday in Paris, France, when he met with Nigerians resident in the country and others around.
He said the removal of subsidy on petrol, which he announced on May 29, 2023, was not part of his inauguration speech as it was not included by his Advisers.
He, however, said he knew it must be done from the first day of his administration.
President Tinubu, who described fuel subsidy as a 40-year-old scam, said: “Some countries were bleeding us.
“Courage was missing.
“Sometimes I became an advocate of it.
“But God gave me the opportunity when I danced around, strategised with my team.
“We won the presidency.
“And the day I was declared winner, I fell almost sick with joy.
“The few friends that visited me were rejoicing.
“So I asked the question: “You asked me to bring this trophy, this victory.
“What do you do with it?
“I brought it.
“I won.
“We must achieve with it.
“We must change Nigeria with it.
“And then Wale Edun and co, we started debating, putting my speech together without the question on subsidy.
“I got to the podium, I was possessed with courage and I said ‘subsidy is gone.’
“They thought it was a joke of the century until I called NNPC.
“We are tired of feeding smugglers, making few people rich and subsidising the next-door neighbour.
“I met with the President of Benin Republic today.
“Everybody is equal now.
“We are friends.
“We are conjoined twins joined by the hips.
“How we will separate each other is with this fuel subsidy.
“Let us see whether we will survive or not, but we are going to survive.”
President Tinubu promised that palliatives to cushion the effect of the removal on subsidy were being worked out, adding that while Organised Labour was demanding palliatives and salary increase among others, it still wants a reversal to the old order.
He added: “You want money increase in palliative, transportation.
“What are you protesting about?
“Are you sharing part of the subsidy?
“If you protest, I will join you and protest against it.
“And they stopped.
“No protest.
“Palliative we will get, but we have to save the money in order to embark on giving palliative.”
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