Subsidy Removal: Catholic Bishops Say Palliative Not Cure For Economic Problems

Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, CBCN, has dismissed the government’s plan to embark on palliative measures as a way of cushioning the effects of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.

The bishops made their position known through the president of CBCN, Most Rev. Lucius Iwejuru during a homily delivered at the Maria Assumpta Cathedral in Abuja on Sunday.

Speaking at the conference, Iwejuru said the country is on the brink of collapse due to the present economic challenges in the country, following the recent removal of petrol subsidy by the federal government.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu ended the multi-billion fuel subsidy regime on May 29 during his inauguration as president in Abuja, the nation’s capital.

His government later promised to give palliatives as a way to reduce the effect of the removal on Nigerians.

The bishop, however, said such measures are not enough to end the current economic quagmire in the country, describing the ‘fabled palliatives’ as too small to redeem the country from the years of bad leadership in the country.

The bishops said the government has decided to punish Nigerians by removing fuel subsidy instead of arresting those that benefitted from the corrupt regime.

Warning that despite the fact that the country is on the verge of total collapse, Ugorji said, “Government has not ceased to inundate citizens with it’s fabled palliative measures to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal. I am sure those running the nation’s affairs at all levels know that palliative measures can never be a cure for any economic or health challenge.”

According to him, “If Nigerians are given food items as palliatives, we will definitely go hungry again, after consuming the food. So, I ask: Why waste resources on palliative measures, instead of attacking the problems frontally?

“Provision of a constant source of energy remains the driving force in all developing and developed economies. Why is ours different? Why should we not subsidize fuel?

“We have severally been told that some people have been enriching themselves from our commonwealth through petrol subsidy. For many patriotic citizens, this argument does not hold water.

“Why has the government failed, is unwilling or incapable of identifying the supposed culprits and bringing them to account for their sordid act?

“There is a lot of deceit and corruption in the land. How can anybody explain why and how the former administration hurriedly commissioned the Dangote refinery, which is yet to start production? So, why the haste in commissioning an unfinished project?

“There is also the fabled story of the supposed Nigerian airline and how an aeroplane was hired or borrowed to flag off its operation. Where is the airline today? Has anyone been asked to account for the act? This is not a good national testimonial.

“The root of Nigeria’s problem is massive corruption. For Nigeria to survive, we must collectively fight corruption, whichever way it rears its ugly head.

“Government must be told that we cannot afford the luxury of punishing the entire populace, because of the corrupt tendencies of a few. This is not fair to all concerned.”