Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has raised concerns about the Tinubu-led government’s persistence in fuel subsidy payments.
In a recent statement released via X, the former vice president expressed shock and dismay over the government’s ongoing financial support for downstream consumption. This critique comes in light of projections revealing that fuel subsidy expenditures are expected to soar to ₦5.4 trillion in 2024, as disclosed by Finance Minister Wale Edun during the presentation of the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP) to President Tinubu.
Atiku pointedly noted that despite President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of subsidy abolition on May 29, 2023, the administration continues to covertly pay subsidies. This contradiction raises questions about the transparency and integrity of the government’s actions, prompting Atiku to advocate for greater accountability and clarity in public policy.
He stated: “President Bola Tinubu, at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, announced the abolishment of the subsidy on PMS, popularly known as fuel.
“Ever since, it has been a bragging right of Tinubu and officials of his administration. I had in my statement reviewing the one year of the Bola Tinubu administration urged the government to come clean on the actual position of the subsidy policy.
“If the subsidy regime had been characterised by opaqueness, what would we say of a situation where the subsidy is still being paid under the cover without Nigerians in the know?
“Like millions of Nigerians, I was shocked to learn through media reports that the government is still supporting downstream consumption.”
Atiku accused the federal government of deceit, suggesting that it continues to fund fuel subsidy while publicly claiming otherwise.
He concluded: “Now we know that expenditure on fuel subsidy may reach N5.4 trillion in 2024, compared to the N3.6 trillion spent in 2023, the same year that Tinubu claimed to have abolished fuel subsidy.
“I wish to restate that Nigeria is not working, and what we have had in a little over a year is a cocktail of trial-and-error economic policies.
‘Paying subsidies and lying about it is nothing to brag about. Nigerians deserve better than this deception.”
(Tribune)
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