.Want FG to revoke licences of fuel hoarders
.Ask Tinubu to reach out to Atiku, Obi
Nigeria’s tribal leaders have asked the President Bola Tinubu-led administration to ensure that there is no extension of the current fuel subsidy regime being June, saying no nation can afford to fritter away over N400 billion in the guise of a shady business model.
The leaders under the aegis of ‘The Natives’made their position is known at a news conference Wednesday in Abuja.
They also demanded immediate revocation of the licences of some people in the oil sector who they described as “saboteurs” and those hoarding fuel across the country.
President Tinubu had in his inaugural speech said there was no provision for fuel subsidy beyond June 2023, adding that “fuel subsidy is gone.”
The declaration has, however, led to fuel scarcity and panic buying across the country.
Supreme Leader of the Natives, who also doubled as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum and Energy Related Matters, Civil Society of Nigeria, Smart Edwards, urged the new administration to go ahead and reinvest the subsidy accruals on job creation, digital economy, healthcare, infrastructure, education, agriculture and incentives for the citizens among others.
While calling on Nigerians to align with the President’s roadmap to prosperity of the country, the group said it will meaningfully engage President Tinubu to ensure that the country is governed under the rule of law and for the prosperity of all Nigerians.
He said: “Mr. President, we heard you loud and clear, the budget that you had a glimpse of before assuming office makes no room for fuel subsidy. Therefore fuel subsidy is gone.
“We want to state clearly that as citizens of Nigeria, we asked for it, we will not postone any doomsday. As a matter of fact there is no doom.
“We asked every candidate for the removal, we demanded it from the past government, we were assured it will never go beyond June, we formed a coalition for the sector, we got the assurance of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, the NLC, the TUC, the Political Parties, former President Buhari, we asked the Ministry of Finance, we demanded it from NNPC Ltd, we gathered Civil Society for it and we knew it was coming, it will end in June and we will never allow anyone to reinstate this sabotage of our livelihoods.
“No country can consistently allow 400billion monthly to a few Nigerians, we support this position and we agree with the NNPC Ltd too, rather the 400billion per month can be invested in the One million Jobs, Digital Economy, Health, Infrastructure, Agriculture and Education.
“We call on Mr. President to give no restraint to the immediate revocation of any licence of saboteurs, deal decisively with any attempt to make live unbearable for citizens by any beneficiaries of subsidy or its removal.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has set to serve, he will make bold decisions, he will consult and will be fair.
“We trust he will reach out to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and Mr Peter Obi and he has already reached out to Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. We can all build this nation together and the solutions rest in all of us”, he stated.
