President Bola Tinubu says he inherited liabilities, assets and the situation that warranted subsidy removal from former President Muhammadu Buhari’s regime.
“This is about Nigerian project, not about Bola Tinubu. I don’t have dealership in petroleum products and I don’t intend to have one. The situation that we have seen is one, I inherited, and it is fundamental, I inherited assets and liabilities of my predecessor.
“No budget, no penny that has been removed. This is the first time you are entering the Council Chamber, this is the first time I’m entering it too. But we have to push on. We have to make decisions that affect all of us,” Mr Tinubu said.
The president made this statement during his first meeting with the All Progressives Congress (APC) governors at the Council Chamber, Abuja on Friday.
Speaking further he said, “you as progressive thinkers, under the umbrella of our party, have a very serious role to play in educating the people, and making sure that we manage ourselves.”
“I will take the opportunity to appeal to you on the leadership of the National Assembly. Maybe get a committee to see the Senate President so that if there are areas of conflict or inadequacies, from there, collaborative leadership can strengthen it out and negotiate and make a deal and get the stability that they should go ahead with.”
Mr Buhari’s regime had planned fuel subsidy removal for June ending, not making provisions for subsidy in the 2023 budget. However, Mr Tinubu, in his inaugural speech on May 29, said “subsidy is gone”. His pronouncement triggered panic across the country as citizens rushed to buy fuel while oil marketers suddenly increased pump price.
On May 31, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced pump price increment that saw petrol price skyrocket from N195 to over N500 nationwide.
While citizens lament the failure of Mr Tinubu to provide palliatives to cushion the ripple effects of the sudden fuel subsidy removal, Nigeria Labour Congress announced a nationwide protest scheduled for Wednesday.
