National Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Sylvester Ezeokenwa, has asked the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) Federal Government to re-lunch investigation into the fuel subsidy regime in the last 20 to 30 years.
Ezeokenwa, who spoke in Lagos at an interactive session with select group of journalists, stated that fuel subsidy, which he said is the only thing poor Nigerians benefit from the government has been turned into a criminal enterprise by corrupt Nigerians.
He noted that unless the Tinubu administration re-lunched investigation in to fuel subsidy regime, and those who enriched themselves at the expense of Nigerians are prosecuted, the removal of subsidy would not make meaning.
He said, “Fuel subsidy is one of the greatest criminal contraptions in Nigeria. Over the years, we have seen the criminalisation of the fuel subsidy regime in Nigeria. President Tinubu should re-lunch investigation into the fuel subsidy regime in the last 20 to 30 years and uncover those who have criminally enriched themselves at the expense of Nigerians, such people should be made to pay back what they stole into the national purse. The poor in Nigeria cannot continue to pay for government’s ineptitude.”
He asked Tinubu to put in place palliatives to ameliorate the sufferings of the people and noted that subsidy could come in other forms, insisting that the government has a duty to provide subsidy to the people,
He further said, “Subsidy is what the government offers to the people to alleviate their hardship and it can come in different forms, it must not be only on fuel. Fuel subsidy elicits so much reaction in Nigeria because the price of fuel affects everything we do in the country, whether it is transportation, power generation or small-scale manufacturing.”
He asked Tinubu to engage with the organised labour unions as the N8,000 palliative proposed for 12 million households and the current minimum wage in Nigeria are not enough to cushion the hardship and suffering that followed removal of fuel subsidy.
“President Tinubu should engage with the labour unions because the workers cannot live on the present minimum wage.”
He advised the government to benchmark how much money it has saved from the fuel subsidy removal and what the money was spent on.
“The government should channel the funds saved from subsidy removal into providing the basic infrastructure Nigerians.The government should benchmark how much is being saved from the fuel subsidy removal and what they are spent on. If the government provides the basic needs of the people, good transportation system and road including rails, steady power supply among other things, Nigerians will not be so much bothered abbot the price of fuel.”
On the relationship between APGA and the APC, the APGA Chairman said that his party wants the progress and happiness of Nigeria and would do what it can to help the APC government achieve its programme for the country.
“APGA supports a progressive Nigeria, it is not in alliance with the APC or any other political party. Our interest in the APC leadership of Tinubu is for him to succeed on his manifesto so that Nigeria will be good and work for everyone,” he said.
He commended Tinubu for his approach to tackling the insecurity situation in the country and noted that there has been improvement since the administration was inaugurated on May 29 this year.
“President Tinubu must be commended for his approach tto security of lives and property since he took over the government,” he said.