Wanni wey don dey happen for Najeria politics: former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and current President Bola Tinubu dey throway word for each other over fuel subsidy.
Atiku, wey be presidential candidate for ADC, talk say if e win election for 2027, e go bring back fuel subsidy. But Tinubu reply say Atiku no understand how economy dey work.
Tinubu talk say before e take power, about 27 states for the country no fit pay worker salary, not to talk of pension. E say many states dey come beg federal government for money because dem no get anything.
President Tinubu also talk say e increase the share wey federal government dey give to states. According to am, na why some states fit survive now.
For inside the matter, Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele say the money from subsidy removal na for sharing between states and local governments.
Atiku, for im own side, talk say removing fuel subsidy no get any benefit because nobody see where the money enter. E ask: ‘Where the money dey? Dem suppose use am fight poverty and reduce children wey no dey go school.’
When dem ask am whether e go restore fuel subsidy if e win for 2027, Atiku answer say: ‘I go restore am, and anybody wey steal the money go return am.’
Before the 2023 election, Atiku don promise say e go sell the country’s refineries. Now, one of Tinubu’s spokespersons, Abdul’aziz Abdul’aziz, say during campaign for 2023, Atiku na im dey talk about subsidy removal and selling refineries and NNPC.
Abdul’aziz talk say: ‘Who be the person wey dey front for subsidy removal? Na im now dey talk this kind thing. E even say e go cancel this policy after e don dey push am before.’
The presidency also claim say the corruption inside fuel subsidy system no be small, and now wey dem remove subsidy, dem don close the window for people wey dey steal.
Abdul’aziz challenge Atiku make e mention the names of people wey steal subsidy money, since Atiku talk say e know dem.
On 29 May 2023, Tinubu announce for im inaugural speech say ‘subsidy don finish’. That one cause fuel price to high and trigger cost of living increase for almost every part of the country.
But plenty people dey ask wetin dem gain. Some say dem no see any benefit from the removal, just say cost of life don high.
The fuel subsidy removal na one of the major policy wey Tinubu government take, and e bring big change to the economy.
Professor Ahmed Adamu, wey be petroleum expert and lecturer for Philomath University for Abuja, say di reason why people no dey see benefit from subsidy removal na because of dollar exchange rate. E say dollar value rise after subsidy removal, so the money wey government suppose gain no reach as dem think.
Economist Dr Shamsudden Muhammad say up to now, dem no see any benefit from subsidy removal. E say if not say e satisfy some international bodies like IMF and World Bank, the thing no get meaning.
