A former All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council director of Election Management, Planning and Monitoring, Dr. Theodore Ekechi, has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his decision to remove petrol subsidy, describing the government position as a welcome development and a right decision.
He, however, said the president should have consulted widely before the inauguration day announcement, adding that the announcement was hasty.
Ekechi, also a former Commissioner of Information and Strategy in Imo State and member representing South-East in the board of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC), noted that subsidy was a scam used to fleece the country of trillions of Naira and needed to be removed.
The APC chieftain, who spoke to journalists in a telephone interview on the state of the nation, argued that previous governments as well as presidential candidates in the February 25 election had always agreed that subsidy was a fraud and should be jettisoned.
He said, “My reaction first of all is, let us define the issue and react to the issue. From Jonathan till now, every administration had agreed that subsidy is a scam in Nigeria. Almost all the presidential candidates agree that subsidy is a scam running into trillions of Naira over a decade now and should go. Subsidy is not something that is good for Nigeria, being a scam, it should be removed. President Tinubu did the right thing.
“The question is how to manage it. My view is let the Federal Government isolate one portion or per cent that goes to private individuals’ pockets, for me that is the portion that must be reinvested into the economy and make sure that it doesn’t go into the private pockets. That’s what should be bothering Nigerians and the Labour.
“We are suffering more because of the subsidy scam. Subsidy is a tumor and it has to be removed. How do you remove the tumor so that it doesn’t affect the individual? Some people said invest in the refineries, education or agriculture. My opinion is give them to private individuals as a loan, who will invest so that they can invest in rice production, implements that will increase rice production and others. Lets give it to people who have plants to produce vehicles, those who want to take over private refinery or independent power generation and increase power distribution and save money in power generation.”
Fielding question on the proposed palliative from the Federal Government, the former election management director said palliative was not an option, adding that it is another scam that will defeat it’ purpose.
“Palliatives is out of it, it is not an option, it is another scam that will go into private pockets,” he added.
He noted that what is needed most was to rally round support for the President to succeed.
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