Ologbondiyan: How Atiku Would’ve Handled  Fuel Subsidy Removal

•Says he’d have adopted staggered approach

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and one of the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign spokesmen in the 2023 presidential campaign, Kola Olagbindiyan, has said the former vice president would have adopted staggered strategy and processes  in the removal of the fuel subsidy if he was the president.

He said unlike the approach by President Bola Tinubu, who on assumption of office on May 29 2023, removed the fuel subsidy on a full swoop, Atiku would have strategically removed the fuel subsidy after studying the situation on ground.

“There are four processes and procedures to remove the subsidy and two have been implemented by  the previous administration. Were Atiku Abubukar elected the president, he would have adopted a staggered strategy

“With this, Atiku as President would have been briefed by experts on the ground and would strategically staggered the process and this would entail less suffering to Nigerians as is the present situation,” he explained.

Ologbodiyan, who spoke on the Arise news channel morning show yesterday, also discussed the 2024 budget, explaining that “most of 2024 budget processes are ‘audio budgeting and audio implementation” that would make it difficult to implement.

According to the former PDP spokesman, “We cannot afford this system of government as a people. Until we agree to that truth, we aren’t going anywhere,” implying that these processes would not be carried out.

Speaking on the issues the PDP had with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope 2024 Budget signed on New Year’s Day, he said, “Anybody who is going to preside over this country – and I remember that we were very clear about that in the People’s Democratic Party – and is not going to touch the cost of governance is just not ready.

“Because to be honest, we cannot afford this system of government as a people. Until we agree to that truth, we aren’t going anywhere. So, it’s not enough to say oh, things look different.

“If you go to the issue of budgeting 100 billion for the feeding of students, the question that Nigerians have been asking: ‘where are those students? Where are they doing the feeding? Who are those responsible?

“Where is it happening? So, most of these budget process, they are audio. That’s just the truth. It’s audio budgeting and audio implementation.

“You cannot be saying that you budget a particular amount for defence, you budget a particular amount for education, but you’ll now go to National Assembly in a multiplying order and make a budget. I think we should be honest with ourselves on their budgeting.”

He also addressed the statement by a former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olusegun Osoba, who said, in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, that the PDP did not provide an alternate voice and was abusive towards the APC.

In his response, Ologbodiyan said, “I do not think that all that the PDP does is to just go abusive. The challenge that we have in this country is that once we get into government, we forget the other side, the function of the other side hardly matters any longer, and that is what we need to address.

“That is the advice that Chief Osoba needs to give to his friend, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, that look, listen to what is being said on the other flank. So, it is not okay to just come and dismiss the opposition as if they are not providing advice.”

The former publicity secretary then said, “If the Asiwaju presidency is serious, it should confront the challenges. “That’s what we are saying; that’s what the PDP is saying.

“So, it is not enough to say that opposition politics, PDP is abusive; PDP is this, PDP is that; they are not providing the alternative voice. The alternative voices that they have been providing since 2015 till today, what have the APC governors done about it? Nothing!”