Petrol Subsidy: Nigerians Will Experience ‘Short-term Pains, Says APC Group

A supoort group of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has appealed to Nigerians to support the removal of subsidy on Petroleum Motor Spirit, PMS, by the federal government, saying the pains from ending the subsidy regime will not last for too long.

The National Integrity Movement, NIM, solicits the support of Nigerians for the action which has led to a sharp increase of the product to more than N600 per litre from N195 two weeks ago.

The announcement by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29, that no provision for subsidy in the 2023 budget has also trigger the anger of the organised labour under the aegis of the Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC and Trade Union Congress, TUC, which claimed that the incense has brought untold hardship to their members.

The NLC in its eactionbto the policy has directed its members nationwide to embark on a five-day warning strike, starting from June 7.

But less that 72 hours to the strike called by NLC the APC supoort group said the federal government has its full backing, noting that subsidy on petrol only benefit a few people in the country.

The group made its position on the issue known on Sunday while addressing Journalists in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

The coordinator of the group, Abubakar Sadique Fakai, stated that Nigerians should rest assured that the economy of the country is in a safe hands of President Tinubu, who it described as a very cerebral administrator, and has the capacity to make the country great.

Fakai urge Nigerians to keep faith with the government, adding that anyone who has the interest of the country at heart will support the removal of subsidy.

According to him, “Anybody that wants this country to go greater than it’s will support subsidy removal, the reason being that it’s only very few people that are benefiting from the subsidy. On a monthly basis Nigeria is spending trillions of naira annually on subsidy, that money alone can be used to build infrastructure as dividends of democracy for Nigerians.

“ANIM is giving its full backing to the complete removal of fuel subsidy and we totally support his stance. While Nigerians will experience short-term pains, we believe that the long-term benefits are too juicy for us to ignore.

“Our concern is that when the policy comes, the Independent marketers should see reasons not to take advantage of the policy to maltreat the masses because the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is here to make sure that things work well for Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, the major opposition party in the country, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemn the sudden removal of subsidy, noting that the federal government did not consult widely before taking the decision.

But critics insist that subsidy removal was part of  the campaign promises of the major political parties in the country  ahead the February 25 presidential election.