An activist has blamed what he sees as a lack of adequate consultation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the raging subsidy crisis confronting the nation.
There have been a public outcry and face-off between Labour and the Federal Government since the president announced the removal of fuel subsidy.
Speaking in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, Comrade Ayodeji Ologun, a journalist who is also a civil rights activist
said it is unfortunate that the president went ahead to pronounce subsidy removal without holding any meeting with relevant stakeholders to finetune the possible way to cushion the effect before removal.
His words: “As an average Nigerian, I am not opposed to the removal of subsidy on PMS ( subsidy has been long removed from kerosene and diesel) as it is long overdue, but the politics and the bravado that come with it calls for concern.
“The same people who today are removing subsidy were opposed to it some 12 years ago under President Goodluck Jonathan and one would ask, what has changed other than the height of hypocrisy exhibited by them albeit deliberately?
“As much as subsidy has to be removed, the new president had a whole month till the end of June when it will become illegal to pay subsidy as provided for by the mid-term budget allocation.
“He should have used that period for consultations and negotiations with relevant stakeholders, but he chose the bravado way by making Nigerians pay for a subsidized product at a non-subsidized rate.
“For subsidy to be removed, the government also had to put in place cushioning measures to alleviate the suffering of the people, but he failed to do so hence the agitations.
“It is hoped that the present government will show responsibility by apologising to Nigerians for the hardship meted out and put in place measures through robust engagement with critical stakeholders to cushion the effect on the people,” Ologun stated.
He, however, appealed to Nigerians to be patient just as he felt their pains especially the hardship that the removal of subsidy has caused.
The Hope
