Subsidy removal: Group blames NNPCL, CBN, calls for probe

A civil society organisation, the Network for Democracy and Development (NDD), has called on President Bola Tinubu to probe the activities of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and its subsidiaries as part of moves to address corruption which it said is the primary reason fuel subsidy became “a bitter pill to swallow” for the government.

The NDD made the call in a communique after a conference of its stakeholders across the country on the national debate generated by the recent removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

In the communique released on Wednesday in Lagos and signed by the National Coordinator, Tajudeen Alabede and General Secretary, Malam Muhammad Jameel Muhammad, the group also called for the investigation of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on the alleged mismanagement of the subsidy regime, saying the probe should revisit past investigations in this regard.

It said: “In the same vein, the Federal Government should take bold steps to stem other criminal activities that are associated with the oil industry, including oil theft, non-functioning refineries, unexecuted turnaround maintenance contracts and smuggling of fuel to neighbouring countries.”

The NDD observed that “subsidy in one form or another is a universal reality,” even in developed economies across the world where essential services are largely subsidised, saying the government has not provided empirical data that links the removal of fuel subsidy to the improved well-being of citizens.

“There seems to be inadequate consultation with stakeholders prior to the declaration of the removal of fuel subsidy as one of the earliest decisions of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“In the same vein, the root causes of the problem were not addressed while mitigating measures were not articulated. Government narratives tend to criminalise fuel subsidy rather than corruption,” the group noted.

The NDD described the poverty level in the country as unacceptable, saying that “it is a shame that with more than 130 million Nigerians who are multi-dimensionally poor, nearly 12 per cent of the world population in extreme poverty live in Nigeria.”

It, therefore, advised the Federal Government to utilise the fund to be saved from the removal of fuel subsidy to develop public infrastructure and improve the living condition of the masses.

In the meantime, the group commended Tinubu for demonstrating his capacity as a shrewd negotiator by averting the industrial action that was planned by the organised labour.

READ ALSO FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE 

• Tinubu in closed door meeting with Nigeria Governors

• Tinubu swears in new SGF, George Akume

• Biafra is non-negotiable ― Nnamdi Kanu

• We used chattered aircraft from Ethiopia to unveil Nigeria Air ― MD

• ‘Time is right for new project’, Karim Benzema speaks on why he made Al-Ittihad move

• Alia nullifies last-minute appointments, recruitments by Ortom