Subsidy removal: FG yet to finalize plans on palliatives

Shifts 2023 Population, Housing Census to May

By Egena Sunday Ode

Thefederal government said Wednesday that it has yet to harmonize templates with states on palliatives to cushion the harsh effects of fuel subsidy removal on citizens.

The planned gradual removal of petroleum subsidy is expected to commence in June, barely three month away.

Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, disclosed this while addressing newsmen after the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said, however, that the relevant committees would soon conclude discussions with key stakeholders as the administration winds down in approximately two months.

The Minister noted that even though a committee, headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had been working for about a year, nothing definite had been agreed.

Fielding questions on the the consequences of the subsidy removal without necessary palliatives to lesssen the impact, Agba expressed hopes that the committee working with state governors can arrive on a common position on the matter. But he said there is no timeline for the Osinbajo’s committee to conclude the discussion which he said is ongoing.

However, he recalled that under the federal government 2022 to 2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, a proposal of N3.3trillion was made for fuel subsidy between January and June 2023.

“For over a year plus now, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has been leading a committee working on this and the National Economic Council also has a committee that has also been working on this.

“So, the stage that we are in now is how to finalize the suggestions that have come out from both the federal government and the governors side.

“Like you know, it is something that is going to affect the entire nation. They will just have to ensure that everyone is carried along, that is both the federal and sub-national governments”, he said.

Agba also disclosed that FEC approved the Nigeria Agenda 2050, a plan aimed at increasing real GDP growth by 7%, creating 165 million new jobs and reducing the number of people living in poverty to 2.1 million in 2050, from the 83 million people estimated in 2020.

Meanwhile, the 2023 Population and Housing Census, earlier scheduled for March 29, has been shifted to May 2023.

Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the disclosure during the post-FEC meeting.

According to Alhaji Mohammed, the decision to reschedule had been necessitated by last week’s decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reschedule the governorship and State Houses of

Assembly elections to March 18.

He also disclosed that the Council approved the sum of N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission (NPC) to procure some software to be used for the conduct of the census.

“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking for some software to allow them conduct the census in May this year. I believe because of the reschedulement of the elections, they cannot commence the census as scheduled.

“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8 billion,” he said.

Mohammed also disclosed that FEC approved the sum of N15 billion for the construction of an access road linking the Benin-Asaba expressway to the 2nd Niger Bridge.

Mohammed also disclosed that the Council approved the sum of N 16 Billion as augmentation for the dualization of Suleja-Minna road in Niger State.

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (middle), meeting with select members of the Hausa Community at the Oko Oba Abattoir, Agege, in continuation of his campaign for the APC and Governor Babajide SanwoOlu second term re-election bid, yesterday in Lagos.