Subsidy Removal: APC Chieftain Faults N8,000 Monthly Palliative

A chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), General Garus Gololo (rtd) has faulted the proposed sharing of N8,000 monthly to 12 million households as palliative to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal.

Recall that President Tinubu had written to the House of Representatives requesting N500b from the 2022 supplementary budget to provide palliatives to Nigeria over fuel subsidy removal impact.

Gololo who was a member of the APC Board of Trustees, called on the present administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to be careful not to make the same mistake made by its predecessor on the issue of palliative sharing to Nigerians.

He said that although palliative is a good thing, since it will cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal, but that President Tinubu, should beware of the banana peel that is about to consume one of former President Muhammad Buhari’s Ministers of humanitarian affairs.

“Many Nigerians still call for her head over the diverted coronavirus palliative funds. Many are still calling for the head of former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo over the N5,000 promised to be given to the aged men and women during the last administration. What about the school feeding program?”he asked.

The APC former board of trustees member suggested that instead of sharing the money with Nigerians who would not be substantiated, the money should be used to create jobs through the refurbishing of the Nigerian refineries or put up other industries to help employ the youths and school leavers.

“The money is enough to put up inter-city or metro rail lines to help workers and the masses on transportation. For instance, we used to have a mass transportation system in the FCT during the administration of Mallam El-rufai, but immediately after he left office the vehicles were packed due to mismanagement.

“There is no help and poverty alleviation in N8,000 monthly especially when we do not have the demographic means of determining beneficiaries. The money to me is nothing. Or they can increase it and make sure that 100,000 minimum wage workers are paid and ensure that it is steady for at least four years. By such, it would affect lives positively,” he said.

Gololo, while speaking on Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar’s Peace Accord, said it has since lost its value and has become obsolete.