Why I’m Against Fuel Subsidy Removal As Being Pushed By Nigerian Government –Sowore
Omoyele Sowore, the candidate of the African Action Congress in the 2023 presidential election, has reiterated that his position on fuel subsidy is that he is “diametrically opposed to starving the masses of our people just to keep enriching the thieving class”.
Sowore who noted this on Wednesday had earlier shared a video of an interview he had with Nigeria Info FM in Lagos, before the election, during which he was asked if he would remove fuel subsidy.
“I’m not removing fuel subsidy, no, because the only thing that Nigerians get from the Nigerian crude is that little subsidy. What I will remove is the subsidy that the crooks in our system get; those people who are importing fake fuel,” the activist said.
Bola Tinubu, Nigeria’s newly inaugurated President on Monday in his inaugural speech said there would be no more fuel subsidy. And hours after the speech, long queues returned to filling stations across the country amid fuel scarcity occasioned by panic buying and hoarding of premium motor spirit, otherwise called petrol, by fuel dealers.
“We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor.
“Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources. We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions,” Tinubu had said.
But the interviewer pointed out that Kenya had just removed fuel subsidy, Sowore said, “The subsidy that is causing a lot of money is the subsidy of the elites.”
“Have you heard that Kenya produced crude before?” he asked. “I’m not aware that they have crude oil in Kenya, we do. They don’t produce crude oil. Do you know that a certain amount of barrels of crude is allocated to refining locally every day?
“And regardless of whether we are refining or not, they are still selling it and it goes into private pockets. I know you might disagree with me; I know these people very well. Let me tell you the gimmick, the gimmick is to make people believe that subsidy is heating up the country but do you know that kerosene is not subsidised? So why are we not benefitting from it? Diesel is not subsidised, why are we not benefitting from it?
“Diesel is massively consumed in Nigeria. The game they play on us all the time is that the moment we remove subsidy, we will put it aside for social welfare affairs. So, what about the one you get from diesel, from kerosene, gas, Jet A-1 fuel, why is it that these benefits are not accruing to the people?
“It is only that of petrol so it is a game and we are out to end the game because we know the trick. We know them inside out.”
