Bala-Usman: People May Have to Suffer in the Course of Governance

·      Urges Nigerians to learn to adjust due to new realities

Gboyega Akinsanmi

Special Adviser to the President on Policy Coordination, Ms. Hadiza Bala-Usman yesterday acknowledged the negative impact of fuel subsidy removal on the people, observing that people might have to suffer in the course of governance.

Bala-Usman, also a former Managing Director of the Nigeria Port Authority, however, said President Bola Tinubu had approved an increase in salaries and directed the National Economic Council (NEC) to work out mitigants to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal.

She made the remarks on Arise News Channel yesterday while fielding questions on the removal of fuel subsidy and the plan of the federal government to provide palliatives for the vulnerable.

Tinubu had in his inaugural address announced the removal of fuel subsidy because the subsidy regime could no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources.

The subsidy removal was immediately supported by governors of the 36 states of the federation, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, organised private sector, and international financial institutions, among others.

However, the removal ignited opposition among organised labour and civil society organisations citing implications for the people. The president pleaded for understanding, promising to provide mitigants for vulnerable people to cushion the impact of the subsidy removal.

Speaking on Arise News Channel yesterday, Bala-Usman observed that people might have to suffer initially due to the decision of the federal government to remove fuel subsidies.

The special adviser argued: “It is laughable to always think no policy that will make people suffer should be initiated. People have to suffer. People suffer in the course of governance.”

She, however, pointed out the resolve of the federal government to provide mitigants for people, especially the vulnerable, to reduce the scathing effects of fuel subsidy removal.

Already, she observed that the president “has approved an increase in salaries. In the same way, people should be engaged in what NEC is doing. NEC is creating another cluster of mitigants with a focus on vulnerable people.

“We should look at when the NEC will work on it and bring it up. We need to be sure that we are mitigant to prevent people’s suffering. I keep repeating it. When will the mitigants come? We cannot keep it open-ended,” she explained.

Bala-Usman, also, canvassed the need for all Nigerians “to learn and adjust our lifestyle. The government is already adjusting its lifestyle by reducing the number of people parading everywhere. The government is not increasing its own cost of governance.

“President Bola Tinubu has only been in office from May 20 to date. The process of reducing the cost of governance is what he is working on now. The task of providing mitigants has been given to the NEC, and they will provide that.

“It is wrong to keep saying nothing has been done. If you ever work in government, you will know it is not what you can do in a week. It is not what you can do in a jiffy that I am deploying $800 million to mitigate the fuel subsidy removal.”

The special adviser lamented that neighbouring countries “are benefitting from the fuel subsidy regime. How can we justify that? Let us accept the realities of what it caused for us.

“Why is Nigeria subsiding? Is that what is obtainable in other oil-producing countries? In trying to get our refineries functional, should we continue subsidising petrol products that bring money to other people’s pockets?

“For us to keep pretending that we are keeping the subsidy because we have not provided mitigants, it is a way to keep on subsidising other people. Subsidy money was going to other people’s pockets.”

She observed that every political party “has a plan to remove fuel subsidies except New Nigeria Peoples Party. The Labour Party has a plan to remove it. PDP too has a plan to remove it. APC too has a plan to remove it. And APC is implementing what other political parties have said.

“Even before we came into power, the cost of governance was a major policy thrust in our government. It is not even just about increasing salaries. It is about trimming down the government in totality before we even come to the issue of salaries.

“For us, it is given that the cost of governance will be reduced. The modality with which we will implement it is what we need to get down to do. Ensuring mitigating measures against the removal of fuel subsidy will be provided. But then, this action has to be taken in the larger interest of Nigerians.”