National secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Mai Mala Buni, in an interview with Daily Trust, said threats by the organised labour against the new decision taken by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari over the removal of subsidy in the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, will fail because the masses are with Buhari.
Excerpts:
The administration caught Nigerians unawares with the removal of subsidy on petrol. Don’t you think the masses will protest?
Two issues are involved here. One, some people have a misconception of the subsidy removal. Secondly, there is a deliberate mischief to mislead Nigerians, by beneficiaries of the corrupt and abused subsidy regime. The subsidy was intended to provide adequate supply of petrol at relatively low rate to Nigerians. Government took the burden of paying billions of dollars to achieve this. However, over the years, a very infinitesimal group of Nigerians abused this good intention and converted the whole process into an epicenter of corruption. Government was forced to pay subsidy for products not supplied, and the little supplied were hoarded, diverted and smuggled out of Nigeria, leaving Nigerians with long queues at petrol stations. Over 60% of the citizenry living outside the urban cities pay as much as N200 and above per litre. Now, the implication is that government loses billions in payment of non-existing supplies, instead of using the same money in building roads, schools and hospitals for the masses.
Don’t you think Nigerians would feel betrayed by the action?
Nigerians have no doubt that the money to be saved will be safe under the Buhari-led government. They know that the proceeds will be effectively used to execute development projects. To buttress my point, since the removal of the subsidy, more than 80 per cent of the poor are not complaining and fuel queues have disappeared. You now buy the product at the same price all over the country. On the average, prices of goods and services have remained stable. On the other hand, it also means that the problems of hoarding, diversion and smuggling shall be eased. Again, the removal of subsidy will spur competition among marketers with additional advantage of creating enabling environment for establishment of refineries by investors.
The organised labour unions are threatening nationwide strike on Wednesday. Are you not disturbed?
I want them to sincerely gauge the mood of ordinary Nigerians before embarking on any strike. I strongly feel the strike will not be a popular move. The subsidy regime betrayed the poor. Let me say with all sense of commitment, that if people of goodwill understand the import of this sensitive, bold and courageous decision taken by the Buhari-led administration, we would all appreciate government and celebrate the blockage of a huge leakage.
Source: Daily Trust
