Fuel Subsidy Removal Palliatives: It’s Dangerous For Tinubu To Repeat Buhari’s Mistakes

An All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Bauchi state, Haruna Gololo, has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to make the same mistakes his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, made.

He urged the president to create jobs for Nigerians instead of distributing money to cushion the effect of the fuel subsidy removal.

The Publisher Nigeria reports that Tinubu had asked the National Assembly to approve a $800 million loan to serve as a palliative to reduce the hardship induced by the removal of subsidy on petrol.

The President disclosed that 12 million households would receive N8,000 monthly from the loan that is being sourced from the World Bank.

Also, another N500 billion has been appropriated by the national assembly in an amendment to the 2022 supplementary budget to mitigate hardship as a result of the subsidy cuts.

Reacting in a statement to journalists on Friday, the APC chieftain warned the president against carrying out a scheme familiar to the COVID-19 palliatives, stressing that Nigerians are still questioning how COVID-19 relief packages were disbursed to citizens.

He advised that the money should be used to create jobs through the refurbishing of the Nigerian refineries or put up other industries to help employ the youths and school leavers.

According to him, the funds could also be invested in infrastructure like transportation that would ease the burden of transportation on Nigerians.

He said: “Yes! Palliative is a good thing and I welcome it, at least, it would cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal but Tinubu should beware of the banana peel that is about to consume one of Buhari’s ministers, the ministers of humanitarian affairs.

“Many Nigerians still call for her head over the diverted coronavirus palliative funds. Many are still calling for the head of former Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo over the N5,000 promised to be given to the aged men and women.

“What about the school feeding programme and so on.”