Tribal leaders in Nigeria have urged the government of President Bola Tinubu to ensure that the current gasoline subsidy regime does not continue past June, arguing that no country can afford to waste over N400 billion under the pretense of a dubious business strategy.
At a news conference held on Wednesday in Abuja, the leaders operating under the ‘The Natives’ banner made their positions clear.
Additionally, they demanded the immediate revocation of the licenses of individuals in the oil industry who they referred to as “saboteurs” and those who were stockpiling petroleum all throughout the nation.
In his inaugural address, President Tinubu stated that fuel subsidies will not be provided beyond June 2023, adding that they were “gone.”
The declaration has, however, led to fuel scarcity and panic buying across the country.
Supreme Leader of the Natives, who also doubled as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum and Energy Related Matters, Civil Society of Nigeria, Smart Edwards, urged the new administration to go ahead and reinvest the subsidy accruals on job creation, digital economy, healthcare, infrastructure, education, agriculture and incentives for the citizens among others.
While calling on Nigerians to align with the President’s roadmap to prosperity of the country, the group said it will meaningfully engage President Tinubu to ensure that the country is governed under the rule of law and for the prosperity of all Nigerians.
He said: “Mr. President, we heard you loud and clear, the budget that you had a glimpse of before assuming office makes no room for fuel subsidy. Therefore fuel subsidy is gone.
“We want to state clearly that as citizens of Nigeria, we asked for it, we will not postone any doomsday. As a matter of fact there is no doom.
“We asked every candidate for the removal, we demanded it from the past government, we were assured it will never go beyond June, we formed a coalition for the sector, we got the assurance of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, the NLC, the TUC, the Political Parties, former President Buhari, we asked the Ministry of Finance, we demanded it from NNPC Ltd, we gathered Civil Society for it and we knew it was coming, it will end in June and we will never allow anyone to reinstate this sabotage of our livelihoods.
UPDATE: Tinubu Makes Clarification On Fuel Subsidy Removal Comment
“No country can consistently allow 400billion monthly to a few Nigerians, we support this position and we agree with the NNPC Ltd too, rather the 400billion per month can be invested in the One million Jobs, Digital Economy, Health, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Education.
“We call on Mr. President to give no restraint to the immediate revocation of any licence of saboteurs, deal decisively with any attempt to make live unbearable for citizens by any beneficiaries of subsidy or its removal.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set to serve, he will make bold decisions, he will consult and will be fair.
“We trust he will reach out to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi and he has already reached out to Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. We can all build this nation together and the solutions rest in all of us”, he stated.
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