The Methodist Bishop, Diocese of Ikeja – Lagos, Rt. Rev. Stephen Adegbite has called on Labour Unions to demand for the judicious and accountable use of the funds realised from fuel subsidy removal, instead of embarking on protest against the policy.
Adegbite who is also the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Lagos chapter made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.
He commended President Tinubu for inviting the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) leaders for follow up discussions after the organised labour went ahead with protest marches inspite of his nationwide broadcast.
The Bishop acknowledged that the removal of fuel subsidy came with some pains but a good number of needed policy changes usually come with some pains.
Adegbite urged the federal government to hasten the deployment of palliative such as bringing mass transit for people to be taken to their various destination with ease, assuring that within six months the pains would varnish and benefits would start trickling in.
“The truth is that the fuel subsidy misadventure was profiting the rich, the politically connected, and even worse, our regional neighbors and smugglers who enjoyed opulent returns at the expense of the citizenry.
“Basically, the masses who were supposed to benefit from the subsidy were not the primary or secondary beneficiary but the saddest part for me is that the people have somehow been hoodwinked and deceived into believing that the fraud of subsidy was in their favour.
“We feel the pain of Nigerian, we have families and members of the society, even in the Church, some people can’t come to Church anymore because of fuel increase, but we have to endure for now, and after endurance, better days ahead.
“By the special grace of God, in another six months Nigeria will sing a new song because God will put a new song on our lips. Nigeria will be delivered totally and it is going to become something of the past and if there is something you wants to know about the president, he is a very compassionate individual that we have known over 27 years,” he said.
