Oyo APC Knocks Makinde over Condemnation of Fuel Subsidy Removal by Tinubu

Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, yesterday, took a swipe at Governor Seyi Makinde over his recent condemnation of the decision of President Bola Tinubu, to stop payment of fuel subsidy as contained in the president’s inaugural speech on May 29, 2023.
It would be recalled that the governor while speaking during an Inter-faith prayer session held at the Agodi Government Secretariat, Tuesday, was alleged to have blamed the worsening economic situation in the country on the Tinubu administration.

He specifically stated that the removal of fuel subsidy in May last year was done hastily and at a wrong time “thereby inflicting hardship on the citizenry.”
But the APC in a statement on Thursday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, urged the governor to shun grandstanding and learn to take responsibility for his personal failure in improving the economy of the state after collecting billions of naira in federal allocations, internally generated revenue, loans, grants, among others in the last 55 months without anything to show for it.

He said the party waited expecting the governor or his aides to debunk or make clarification on the statement credited to him in the media but this never happened, stating that it is obvious that a governor in his second term in office was actually out to put the blame of dwindling economy on a seven month-old government at the centre even when the whole world knows he is part of the problem.

The statement read: “As much as we would not delve into the culpability of Gov. Makinde in the mismanagement of the nation’s petroleum resources, it is important we ask him to withdraw his criticism of President Bola Tinubu on the courageous and heroic decision to stop fuel subsidy payment by the federal government since it has been established that the policy was not only fraudulent but also counterproductive and economically suicidal.

“It is an undeniable fact that things took a worse dimension for the residents of the country since May last year when the federal government announced total removal of subsidy on imported petroleum products especially premium motor spirit otherwise known as petrol but there is no better time for the government to take the bold decision than when it was done while there is high hope that the situation would return to normal in no time.

“Even all the leading candidates in the last presidential election had indicated their individual resolve to take similar step if given the opportunity to rule Nigeria.

“As a matter of fact, most governors are responsible for the growing poverty in the land and Gov. Makinde is not an exception. Why would poverty not spread when a governor deliberately grounded the third tier of government in his state and this denies officials from using the funds accruing to their councils to serve the masses?

“Why would poverty not spread in the land when a governor fails to create employment and wealth with the enormous resources at his disposal but he chooses to waste public funds on questionable contracts awarded at inflated costs?

“How would Oyo not be among poverty-stricken states in Nigeria when we have a governor whose achievement on commerce is extinction of Agbowo Shopping complex where thousands of residents used to make a living.

“On agriculture, Gov. Makinde started by taking N7.6billion loan with a promise to build farm estates and he has nothing to show after four years but he blames Tinubu for removing fuel subsidy.

“Last year, the same governor moved N3.35b out of Oyo State treasury ostensibly to purchase 105 units of plastic cars at the rate of N32million per one and less 100 units were displayed months after. Nigerians should be the judge here.”