Human rights advocate, Femi Falana (SAN) has urged the Nigerian Federal Government to review the fuel subsidy removal policy in light of assertions that the country is still footing the bill for it.
Following his inauguration, President Bola Tinubu declared an end to the subsidy era, which subsequently led to a surge in petroleum prices nationwide.
However, recent statements from the World Bank and Mr Robert Dickerman, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, contend that the Federal Government continues to subsidize the product.
In response to the claims, Falana issued a statement on Sunday, urging the government to address them and conduct a thorough review of the existing policy.
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It read:
“Curiously, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited has not deemed it fit to deny the serious allegation that fuel subsidy has been restored.
“Since there is no provision for fuel subsidy in the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Acts the federal government should, without any further delay, confirm or deny the serious allegation and end the opacity surrounding the importation of fuel from foreign countries.
“It would be recalled that after the Muhammadu Buhari administration announced that it had removed subsidy on petrol, it turned around to spend N11 trillion on the so-called ‘under-recovery’ within a period of 8 years.
“Therefore, instead of urging Nigerians to continue to endure the hardship caused by the removal of subsidies on petrol, the Bola Tinubu administration.
“If the federal government is spending as much as N1 trillion on fuel subsidy per month, it is high time the policy was reviewed in the interest of the Nigerian people.”
