Subsidy removal is a courageous decision by President Tinubu —Group

From: Femi Oyelola, Kaduna

AGroup under the auspices of the Arewa Youth Assembly (AYA) has called for understanding, calm, and support for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration over removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), better known as petrol, and the adjustment of pump prices.

Speaking to journalists in Kaduna, the Speaker, Arewa Youth Assembly, Mohammed Salihu Danlami, said the removal of the subsidy is a tough but courageous decision, which previous administration failed to take.

He noted that it is very thoughtful, a sign of good faith and continuity for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to keep up with the subsidy removal, which foundation was laid by the immediate past administration.

He also commended the efforts of Nigerian National Petroleum Coperation Ltd

In addressing the nation and promptly making adjustments

Hajj 2023: 559 first batch of Jigawa pilgrims airlifts Saudi Arabia

From Mika’il Tsoho, Dutse to the price of PMS to tackle fuel hoarders.

The first batch of 559 Jigawa pilgrims have been airlifted from Nuhu Muhammad Sunusi International Airport Dutse to Saudi Arabia for 2023 Hajj exercise.

While speaking at the event, the executive governor of Jigawa state, Malam Umar Namadi urged them to pray for peace and progress in the state.

The governor reminded the intending pilgrims that they are few whom were chosen by almighty God among many.

The intending pilgrims departed the Airport on Wednesday at 4:45 p.m., aboard Max Air and expect their landing at Saudi Arabia Airport by 11:00 pm.

Danlami noted that Nigeria has previously paid an average of N120 billion monthly petrol subsidy.

He urged Nigerians to remain calm, apply wisdom and understanding, and resist the temptation and instigation by those fanning the embers of hate to cause chaos and instability in the country.

He further noted that subsidy removal is in conformity with the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA Act) 2021, which provides for total deregulation of the petroleum downstream section to drive investment and growth.

The Assembly president decried the fact that subsidy has been the reason why Nigeria has remained stagnant for years because it benefits only a few rich Nigerians who don’t even need the subsidy.

According to Danlami, few top politicians and key government officials were making billions of dollars of subsidy while Nigerians were unable to afford quality education, healthcare, infrastructure, electricity, telecommunications, stable power supply, agriculture and are faced with high rate of un-employment and extreme poverty.

He maintained that with subsidy payment, even if oil prices increase in the global market, Nigeria and Nigerians benefit nothing because the gains from the increase in oil prices are channelled to paying subsidies.

He stressed that in the opinion of the Arewa Youths, which reflects the opinion of most Nigerians, payment of the subsidy is a waste of resources and misplacement of priority with lethal consequences to the nation.

Subsidy has fatal effects of inflationary pressures on the economy, which negatively impacts the exchange rates and results in all kinds of untold sufferings of Nigerian Masses and pushes millions of youths into different forms of terrorist activities and insurgency.

He argued that the continued payment of subsidy will lead Nigeria to continue to borrow and remain in debt, noting that between January and August of 2021, a total of N905.27 billion has been incurred as subsidy costs, according to the Federation Account and Allocation Committee reports. As of 2022, the cost of servicing debt in Nigeria with the federal government was N2.597 trillion, whereas revenue was N2.4 trillion. With this, no meaningful development in other key areas is feasible.

He further stated that as a developing nation, Nigeria must do more than just survive or live in the moment, Nigeria must make developments in all sectors as central to our existence, however, Nigeria cannot do that as much as she continues to pay subsidy to few Nigerians who are already rich at the detriment of over 200 million more Nigerians. By any standard sensible, we cannot possibly eat our cake and have it.

To continue to pay subsidy is to intentionally rob the future of the generation yet unborn; it is to deliberately slide our nation into recession, high inflation rates, hunger, extreme poverty, and starvation.

We should not, we cannot continue to pay subsidies in this country if we want to have Nigeria as a nation in the next decades to come.

Therefore, the Arewa Youth Assembly calls on Nigerians to support the removal of subsidy in order to save all, and desist from politicising it, or bringing in religion or ethnicity, because the danger that awaits if we continue to pay subsidy is coming for all Nigerians irrespective of their political inclination, tribe or religion.

It is a tough and painful decision to make, but certainly the right step towards the right direction, to save not just a few, but the entire nation, to restoring the glory of Nigeria as the leader of Africa.

In conclusion, the speaker strongly cautioned against hoarding PMS for safety concerns and to allow its continuous flow through the proper channels to ensure its availability and affordability.

National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu (middle) in hand Shake with GMD NNPC, Malam Mele Kyari, wither members of APC National Working Committee, during the meeting

With GMD, at the Party’s Secretariate, yesterday in Abuja. Photo: Mahmud Isa