NATIONAL leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has
appealed to Nigerians to take the difficulties that might arise as a
result of the new pump price of fuel as a sacrifice for a better future.
In a statement issued by his media office, the two-term governor of Lagos
state, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for taking “a bold step”,
telling Nigerians that “this pain is necessary”.
He said the new development will clear the rot in the petroleum sector,
and push out “fake businessmen who became true billionaires over night.
“We all want fuel at a cheaper price under the subsidy, we got the right
price but not the fuel,” the statement read.
“I would be lying if I said this will cause no pain or dislocation.
However, it will stabilise supply and end the costs associated with long
waits and delays for fuel. The days and hours of waiting for fuel will be
a thing of the past.
“As originally envisioned, subsidy formed a basic part of the social
contract between the people and their government. It was a benefit all
were to enjoy. Yet, because past governments were not for and of the
people, the true meaning and objective of the subsidy policy became lost.
Over the years, the operation of the measure was distorted to where it no
longer functioned for the benefit of the masses but for the undue
enrichment of a small club of businessmen, some legitimate in their work,
some not.
“Instead of remaining a positive aspect of the social contract, subsidy
was transformed into an opaque haven of intrigue and malfeasance. It was
turned into a shadowy process from which the unscrupulous extracted large
sums of money without providing the services and products duly paid for.
Fake businessmen became true billionaires over night as if by supernatural
force. They paraded themselves as such.
“To allow this unfairness to continue would have been a breach of the
promise made by this government to the people. We all have an emotional
and sympathetic attachment to the ideals upon which the subsidy was
founded.”
Tinubu said allowing the situation to remain the same would have
translated to a breach of the agreement which the ruling party had with
Nigerians in the electioneering period.
He confessed that though he would have ordinarily preferred that the
sector was sanitised and not totally liberalised, he believed that the
current government took a decision that serves the people best.
“This administration entered office with a mandate of CHANGE. The
government could not forever sit back and allow this dire inequity to
continue, lest it forfeits the essence of its mandate,” he said.
“I wish we could have sanitised the subsidy regime and thus continue it,
but I believe that President Buhari is removing it not for the austere
purpose of saving money but for the nobler purpose of putting those same
funds to fairer, more equitable use in order that government might better
serve those of us who are truly in need.
“While this may not be perfect, it is a much better deal than the one the
subsidy offered us.”