Mohammed Shosanya
Garba Shehu, former spokesperson to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has cleared air on why his former boss didn’t remove the fuel subsidy in Nigeria
Buhari,he said,didn’t fail to remove the subsidy, rather he wanted it to be done at an appropriate time.
Shehu conveyed this clarification in a press statement on Monday.
He said, “Removing subsidies for the Naira and PMS was cued and put on hold. Look for example in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA). The important decision was kept for a better time.It couldn’t have come at a time when tensions were high in the country and no responsible leader would have added fuel to the fire.
“In the view of many-including those in the security circles- only a new administration with a goodwill that fills a warehouse can attempt this, and here now comes in the wit and grit of the Tinubu’s government.
“We must be politically honest with ourselves. The Buhari administration in its last days couldn’t have gone the whole way because the All Progressives Congress (APC) had an election to win.
“And that would have been the case with any political party that was seeking election for another term with a new principal at its head. Poll after polls showed that the party would have been thrown out of office if the decision as envisaged by the new Petroleum Industry Act was made,” he said.
On other subsidies which the former President successfully removed, Shehu said: “The fraudulent fertilizer subsidy. Hajj/Christian Pilgrim subsidies. Remember them? The diesel subsidy. The aviation fuel subsidy. LPFO. Kerosene. Cooking gas and the other subsidy policies we found in place, and put them firmly on the ground. Remember them?
“For those with short memories, many of those subsidies were all in place when President Buhari was elected to office in 2015: all those in place were gone by May 2023 – including the annual fertilizer subsidy that weighed 60-100 billion Naira (that’s trillion naira in about 10 years – yes you read that right) heavy on the federal budget each year.
“So no, Buhari didn’t remove the petrol subsidy – but in vitally important stages he removed every other budget-busting, egregious, economic-growth-crushing subsidy along the way.
“The decision to remove subsidies, as in our case – and we believe in all situations – was not for the President to take all by himself. That’s why it’s important to remind ourselves – and all those who have conveniently forgotten – that the Buhari administration had been on this pathway from the very beginning in 2015.
“We are mindful of the fact that with a Tinubu/Shettima presidency now in place and for which there is a “New Sheriff in Town.” We don’t want to distract them from the onerous tasks facing them and the nation.
“Neither is it our wish to take the spotlight away from them in any way. In terms of the timing of the decisions to remove fuel subsidies and unify the currency, the Tinubu/Shettima administration has done overwhelmingly well. Even more importantly, they have been most dexterous in managing the aftermath of the decisions by successfully avoiding any crisis.
“To this extent, our wish and prayers are that fellow countrymen will continue to support the new leadership in these very laudable decisions and, in particular, for the Labour leadership and civil society to work with them to ensure that the palliative efforts as promised are successfully implemented,”he said.
