The Centre for Equity and Eradication of Rural Poverty, a pro-democacy advocacy body in the country, on Friday, noted the continued reactions and counter-reactions trailing the recent suspension of fuel subsidy payments by the federal government of Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu had announced the fuel subsidy removal during his inaugural speech last month.
He said that the subsidy could no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources, promising to re-channel the funds for fuel subsidy payment into critical public Infrastructure would materially enhance the lives of millions.
The recent development caused the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to announce on Wednesday last week, a new increase in pump price of fuel products from N197 per litre to over N500.
Earlier, Centre for Equity and Eradication of Rural Poverty, while baring its minds which contained in a statement issued on Friday by its Executive Director, Don Ubani, stressed that no society can survive on sustaintence of corruption in its public account sector.
The advocacy body described the policy(oil subsidy regime) as a clear manifestation of corruption deliberately planted by cabal in the country’s public financial system just to endlessly enrich itself at the detriment of Nigeria’s economy, her citizens and future.
According to the group, “that though on the 1st of January, 2012 that former President Goidluck Jonathan had announced removal of oil subsidy, he unfortunately, did not have enough capacity to withstand pressure from the opposition political parties and the organized labour.
“Not minding that President Tinubu and the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari, as then opposition chieftains, had vehemently opposed the good idea, it was obvious they both knew it was the best thing to do.
The rights advocacy group called on the opposition parties and organized labour to give the new President sometimes to be able to channel the funds appropriated and payed by Nigerian government on oil subsidy.
It partly stated: “Now that President Tinubu has removed his apron of opposition and embraced the spirit of circumstantial realization, that opposition parties and the organized labour should give the President the benefit of the doubt on considerly improving critical public Infrastructure, education, health and job creations.
“The adequate security should be provided on our roads and rail lines. Government-owed refineries should be duly privatised and made optimally functional.
“Both National and Sub-National Minimum Wages should be reviewed, with a view of not having a worker receive a monthly take-home of less than fifty thousand naira.
“That interested citizens should be adequately motivated to engage profitably in agriculture. Considerable attention should be paid to the health sector, especially primary health system.”
