Fuel Subsidy removal; APC chieftain charges Nigerians to support Tinubu`s administration
Agency report
Ahaji Garba Sani. Founding Chairman, APC United Kingdom Chapter on Friday in Abuja, charged Nigerians to support the President Bola Tinubu`s administration in spite of the challenges posed by the removal of fuel subsidy.
He gave the charge at an event organised by Mr Ade Omole, Director of Diaspora Directorate of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC).
Tinubu on May 29 while delivering his inaugural speech, said government could no longer sustain fuel subsidy.
Sani who is also a member of the defunct APC PCC Diaspora Directorate, however, assured that better days were ahead in spite of the current challenges, especially with the hike in transportation.
“Tinubu`s administration has a renewed agenda and a renew hope for Nigerians that will propel the country to higher heights.
“However, the talked about renewed hope is not just about Tinubu, Sen. Kahsim Shettima his Vice-President, or other government machineries to ensure its realisation.
“As Nigerians, we all have to put hands together and work towards the success of this country, Tinubu and the government alone cannot do it, we all have to contribute to move the country forward,’’ he said.
Sani while speaking on the immediate past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, said Buhari as an individual did his best to address issues of corruption among other issues in the country.
He said Nigerians should appreciate Buhari for his contributions to the country`s development in spite of the challenges he met on assumption of office.
Recall that Alhaji Mele Kyari, Group Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), had earlier explained that contrary to speculations, the immediate past government did not make provisions for petroleum subsidy in 2023 budge.“There was subsidy in 2022 but in 2023, not a single naira was provided for the purpose of financing the subsidy.“And ultimately while we held back our fiscal obligations, we still have a net balance of over N2.8 trillion that the federation should have given back to the NNPC.“For any company, when you have negative N2.8 trillion, there is no company in the whole of Africa that will lend to you, you cannot have receivables.“The provision of subsidy is there, but absolutely there is no funding for it,” Kyari had said, adding that it was only on paper and does not exist.This, he said, was the true situation of things, adding the the Federal Government could no longer bear the burden of fuel subsidy.He added that if government continued to subsidize petroleum, the cooperation would run into defaults which would not be good for the country.