A chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta State, Chief Sunny Onuesoke, has lauded the Federal Government for heeding the lamentations of Nigerians to suspend the removal of fuel subsidy.
The former governorship aspirant, who has always been a critic of anti-people Federal Government’s policies, said the decision to suspend the planned fuel subsidy removal has saved the country from another round of protests that would have crippled the nation and plunged Nigerians into unnecessary hardship.
He, however, advised the Federal Government to use the window of the suspension of the subsidy removal to fix the nation’s four refineries to work optimally as it has severally promised.
The Minister of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning, Hajia Zainab Ahmed, had, on Monday in Abuja, said that the Federal Government had postponed the planned removal of subsidy on petroleum products till further notice.
Recall also that the FG through the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva, on Tuesday, announced the suspension of the activation of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) for 18 months to tinker with the subsidy aspect by the National Assembly.
Onuesoke, while fielding questions from journalists in Warri on Tuesday, reiterated that fixing the moribund refineries was the only sure way out of the lingering fuel subsidy debacle.
“The only way out over this subsidy issue is for government to get the four refineries working at optimal level to bring the petroleum products prices to the barest minimum,” he admonished.
The PDP Chieftain pointed out that if the Warri, Port Harcourt and Kaduna refineries were in good working condition, the issue of paying fuel subsidy would be minimized or totally eradicated.
He argued that the country has no reason for not bringing back its moribund domestic refineries, adding that it was a shame for Nigeria to remain the only OPEC member that imports more than 90 per cent of its refined petroleum needs.
He maintained that the precipitous removal of fuel subsidy without making strategic plans or giving particular attention to the domestic refining is tantamount to strangulating hand-to-mouth Nigerians.
YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE
Buhari Urges MTN For Quality Service, Downward Price Review In Cost Of Data, Other Services Rulers World
President Muhammadu Buhari Friday at State House Abuja urged the MTN Group to make the available top-of-the-range service to its Nigerian subscribers… PDP Chieftain lauds FG over suspension of subsidy removal PDP Chieftain lauds FG over suspension of subsidy removal PDP Chieftain lauds FG over suspension of subsidy removal PDP Chieftain lauds FG over suspension of subsidy removal
and then