The Chairman of APC USA, Professor Tai Balofin assured Nigerians on Sunday in Abuja that President Bola Tinubu is committed to alleviating the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
Balofin expressed confidence in Tinubu’s plan to address the issues stemming from this decision and requested patience from the public.
Since President Tinubu announced the federal government’s inability to sustain the fuel subsidy during his inaugural speech, the price of petrol at the pump has increased from N195 to N540 per litre.
This substantial rise sparked a vehement response from the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), which warned of a countrywide strike to push for a reversal of the decision.
Balofin made an appeal to Nigerians for understanding and patience, despite acknowledging the struggles faced by his compatriots from his position overseas.
“I trust that the president will put some measures in place to cushion the effect of the subsidy removal so it does not go overboard,” he said.
He noted that fuel costs in other nations, such as the United States, range from $3.40 to $3.50 per gallon, and expressed hope that President Tinubu’s strategic approach would balance out the current situation soon.
The APC USA chairman reiterated that the subsidy’s removal was a collective decision, approved by stakeholders and members of the House of Representatives.
He, therefore, urged lawmakers to communicate to Nigerians the potential positive outcomes of this policy change.
An APC USA chieftain, Tunde Doherty added that the fuel subsidy had not contributed to Nigeria’s development, describing it as an “infectious enjoyment” that had lasted too long.
Drawing comparisons with the United Kingdom and the United States, where no subsidies are offered, Doherty voiced optimism about President Tinubu’s plan to cushion the effects of the fuel price increase.
Doherty said, “We have to be very factual and truthful to Nigerians at the start of this regime, fuel subsidy has not helped us in any way.
“Rather it has become a kind of infectious enjoyment in Nigeria because the determinant of pricing is the marketers.
“Now that there is no subsidy, I agree that it might be very difficult for people at this time, but I can tell you that President Tinubu is in charge of the situation.
“Within the next few months, he will cushion the effect of what Nigerians have suffered.
“In the UK today, we have Costco Oil selling for £1.3 and we have Sabre (Oil and Gas) selling for £1.7. So it is a liberalised economy with petrol.
“We cannot continue to let Nigerians suffer, we have to start by telling them the truth about oil subsidy. It does not take us anywhere. It is just pretentiously putting us in a future we cannot predict.
“There is no subsidy where we live in the Diaspora and we enjoy fuel, we have never experienced fuel scarcity. The time for us to enjoy that Renewed Hope is here.”
