2023: PDP Says N3 Trillion Fuel Subsidy Padded; Demands Full Disclosure of Fuel Importation Costs

The Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), says it is appalled by what it describes as the bare-faced move of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration to hide under fuel subsidy, and allegedly, siphon and fritter a staggering N3trillion.

The PDP, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Debo the described  it as “outrageous and unpardonable crime against Nigerians.”

Whilst the PDP says it is not against subsidizing petroleum products for Nigerians, the Party rejects “this wicked plot by the APC Government to use a heavily padded fuel subsidy claims to surreptitiously funnel trillions of naira into the pockets of corrupt APC leaders and their cronies in government ahead of their shameful exit in 2023.”

The PDP says it, therefore, demands “a full disclosure of specifics of the subsidy templates including details of cost of importation of petroleum products into the country to warrant the additional N2.557 trillion being requested by the corrupt APC administration.”

Said the statement:

“The PDP already has information of how corrupt APC leaders pushed for the additional N2.557 trillion to the N443 billion already approved for fuel subsidy in the 2022 budget just to create a surplus as slush fund ostensibly for APC leaders to share as well as deploy to rig the 2023 elections.

The APC government cannot justify the proposed increase in fuel subsidy in the face of incontrovertible evidence of slowing economy and consequential decrease in consumption of petroleum products in Nigeria due largely to the rudderless, irresponsible and insensitive economic policies of the APC as well as the adverse effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Nigerians have already noted that the proposed increase is consistent with APC’s typical padding of fuel subsidy ahead of every election cycle. Is it not revealing that while fuel subsidy was N24 billion in 2016 and rose to N144.53 billion in 2017, it spiked to N878 billion in 2018 ahead of the 2019 elections; remained at N551.22 billion in the election year of 2019, only to drop to N102 billion in 2020, after the elections?

“It is clear that the APC increased fuel subsidy to N1.4 trillion in 2021 and now barefacedly seeks additional N2.557 trillion to have a cumulative subsidy bill of N3 trillion in 2022 to prosecute the 2023 elections having realized that it has a tough battle with Nigerians because of its monumental failures.

“It is even more disturbing that the proposed increase is to be funded through external borrowings, which will further impoverish Nigerians, mortgage the future of our nation and burden future generation of Nigerians just to finance the insatiable greed of APC leaders.

“The PDP, standing with the Nigerian people, vehemently rejects the bandying of incoherent, unsubstantiated and heavily doctored figures by the APC government in its desperate lies on domestic consumption and landing costs.

“Our Party challenges the APC to present the details of importation costs to Nigerians as no genuine pricing template can support such criminal increase in fuel subsidy beyond the appropriate pricing which experts posit cannot be above N500 billion.

“The PDP, therefore, calls on the National Assembly to stand with the people and reject the scandalous N2.557 trillion addition for fuel subsidy at this critical time as approving such would be a great and unpardonable disservice to Nigerians.”

The Federal Government proposed a complete removal of fuel subsidy, but was resisted by the Nigerian Labour Congress and many groups and individuals, including former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, rtd. It was forced to suspend the idea by 18 months.

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, had on Wednesday told Nigerians that as long as they continue to resist the removal of fuel subsidy, for so long will the Buhari Government continue  to take loans.

Recall that during the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, the then candidate Major General Muhammadu Buhari, had dismissed fuel subsidy as a scam.