Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State has berated the Bola Tinubu administration over its inability to plan and effectively respond to the effect of fuel subsidy removal that has further impoverished Nigerians.
Speaking with journalists in Benin City on Wednesday, Obaseki said he is shocked that the federal government is yet to provide palliative to Nigerians to cushion the effect of fuel subsidy removal on the people.
The governor described the federal government’s palliative concept as fraudulent, saying his administration would implement measures to support the people of the Edo state.
Obaseki said he raised the alarm following the mismanagement of the country’s economy, adding that the country’s situation was taking a turn for the worse due to bad policies by the federal government.
He said, “I have always warned. I warned Nigerians during the last May Day this year. I told them that we have come to the end of the road and that the old economic order in Nigeria is gone, and we have to come up with a new economic order and stop deceiving ourselves as a nation.
“Now the subsidy is gone; the exchange rate is being aligned. The era of free money has almost come to an end. The consequence is that the weakest and most vulnerable in our society, unfortunately, will carry a huge part of the burden of these policies.
“I am shocked that people who campaigned around the country, saying that they would remove subsidies, had no clear plans on what to do after subsidy removal. They don’t know what to do and how to support those who will be victims of subsidy removal.
“I am shocked and scared of what we are passing through today, where the government doesn’t seem to have a plan or solution on how to respond to the consequences of the policy measure put in place by their administration.”
Speaking further, Governor Obaseki said the federal government has mismanaged the economy, which has led to inflation.
He, however, reaffirmed his government’s commitment to the welfare and well-being of Edo people.
He added, “With the way they have mismanaged our national economy, we have to deal with inflation, between 20 and 25 per cent. It means that people will feel more pain, especially the weak and vulnerable in society, particularly our pensioners, as whatever they get as their entitlement will do only little for them.
“For us in Edo State, we would not abandon you. We don’t like the word palliative because it is deceitful, as we would rather use the word ‘support’. We would support those who are already victims of this policy measure.”
