Subsidy Removal: CHRICED Flays Fresh Suffering Inflicted on Nigerians

• Says citizens now at the mercy of shady marketers, ruthless profiteers 

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja 

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned what it described as the “hasty announcement” of subsidy removal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29.

The Centre said the action of the new administration “amounts to inflicting fresh round of pains, suffering and misery on Nigerian”s. 

This is even as it said that the decision would further subject Nigerians to the whimp of exploiters and ruthless profiteers in the oil industry.

In a statement signed by Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director, CHRICED, the Centre bemoaned the president’s unilateral pronouncement at the outset of his term, pointing out that it was carried out without proper procedure or extensive discussions with stakeholders such that it has caused turmoil, with petrol lineups forming around the nation. 

Ibrahim said: “Because of the interruptions produced by the announcement, Nigerians would be at the mercy of shady oil marketers and ruthless profiteers in the downstream sector of the petroleum business in the coming weeks. 

“The key question is: what plan has the Tinubu government put in place to combat these economic saboteurs? There seems to be no strategy, and as a result, citizens are now at the whims of exploiters who will undoubtedly prey on them.    

He wondered why would an administration battling for legitimacy, particularly in light of the legal challenge to its electoral mandate deliberately hold itself in a fix. “This is a troubling sign,” he said.

According to him, “CHRICED is of the position that this ‘bull in the China shop’ approach to implementing public policy would leave Nigerians more impoverished and traumatised than what they experienced under the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari. 

“For avoidance of doubt, Nigerians went through hell in the last eight years as a result of the inhumane and draconian policies and programmes of the previous Buhari-led APC administration.” 

Ibrahim however advised that “the least Nigerians expect from the new government is strategic thinking supported by the ability to solve problems in a calm and calculated manner, which takes into account the welfare and well-being of citizens”.

He pointed that for citizens grappling with the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, an extremely high rate of inflation, massive unemployment, slave wages, and the recent severe disruptions caused by the government’s demonetization policy, also known as the naira redesign, the subsidy removal without taking into considerations other critical issues, will impose additional suffering on the people.    

“President Tinubu, in all his appearances since assuming office, has never mentioned the astronomically high cost of governance, the pervasive corruption that has overtaken the nation, or what his administration will do to drastically address the mess in the system. For us in CHRICED, addressing the issue of subsidy is not just about the simplistic motion of declaring its removal. There are other issues such as Nigeria’s crude refining capacity and the need to revamp the country’s comatose refineries,” he said.

Subsidy Removal: CHRICED Flays Fresh Suffering Inflicted on Nigerians

• Says citizens now at the mercy of shady marketers, ruthless profiteers 

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja 

The Resource Centre for Human Rights and Civic Education (CHRICED) has condemned what it described as the “hasty announcement” of subsidy removal by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29.

The Centre said the action of the new administration “amounts to inflicting fresh round of pains, suffering and misery on Nigerian”s. 

This is even as it said that the decision would further subject Nigerians to the whimp of exploiters and ruthless profiteers in the oil industry.

In a statement signed by Dr. Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi, Executive Director, CHRICED, the Centre bemoaned the president’s unilateral pronouncement at the outset of his term, pointing out that it was carried out without proper procedure or extensive discussions with stakeholders such that it has caused turmoil, with petrol lineups forming around the nation. 

Ibrahim said: “Because of the interruptions produced by the announcement, Nigerians would be at the mercy of shady oil marketers and ruthless profiteers in the downstream sector of the petroleum business in the coming weeks. 

“The key question is: what plan has the Tinubu government put in place to combat these economic saboteurs? There seems to be no strategy, and as a result, citizens are now at the whims of exploiters who will undoubtedly prey on them.    

He wondered why would an administration battling for legitimacy, particularly in light of the legal challenge to its electoral mandate deliberately hold itself in a fix. “This is a troubling sign,” he said.

According to him, “CHRICED is of the position that this ‘bull in the China shop’ approach to implementing public policy would leave Nigerians more impoverished and traumatised than what they experienced under the previous administration of Muhammadu Buhari. 

“For avoidance of doubt, Nigerians went through hell in the last eight years as a result of the inhumane and draconian policies and programmes of the previous Buhari-led APC administration.” 

Ibrahim however advised that “the least Nigerians expect from the new government is strategic thinking supported by the ability to solve problems in a calm and calculated manner, which takes into account the welfare and well-being of citizens”.

He pointed that for citizens grappling with the lingering aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, an extremely high rate of inflation, massive unemployment, slave wages, and the recent severe disruptions caused by the government’s demonetization policy, also known as the naira redesign, the subsidy removal without taking into considerations other critical issues, will impose additional suffering on the people.    

“President Tinubu, in all his appearances since assuming office, has never mentioned the astronomically high cost of governance, the pervasive corruption that has overtaken the nation, or what his administration will do to drastically address the mess in the system. For us in CHRICED, addressing the issue of subsidy is not just about the simplistic motion of declaring its removal. There are other issues such as Nigeria’s crude refining capacity and the need to revamp the country’s comatose refineries,” he said.