By Rotimi Agbana
Following the announcement of fuel subsidy removal by the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a former federal lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has declared war on agitators in support of its continuation.
The senator made this known in a tweet on Monday while reacting to developments stemming from the president’s announcement yesterday.
PUNCH reported that Tinubu announced on Monday in Abuja that his administration would remove the subsidy on petroleum products.
“Subsidy is gone!” Tinubu exclaimed during his inaugural address at Eagle Square, Abuja, shortly after he was sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria.
The president said there was no provision for subsidy in the national budget as of June 2023 and, therefore, it stands removed.
Senator Shehu, who had been in support of the idea of the removal of fuel subsidy in Nigeria, noted that fuel stations shutting down in less than 24 hours after the announcement of subsidy removal is mere blackmail.
He wrote, “Shutting down petrol stations on the announcement of the removal of petroleum subsidy is the usual blackmail by the subsidy cartel. It’s time to neutralise the subsidy parasites.”
According to him, the government had spent billions of naira on fuel subsidy which experts say is not sustainable.
The issue of fuel subsidy has been a matter of national discussion for many years, with many questioning its impact on citizens.
The immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari had announced the removal of the fuel subsidy in June, but it was postponed during the Federal Executive Council meeting on April 27.
Source: The Punch
