Archbishop Cautions Jonathan On Fuel Subsidy

Archbishop of the Ecclesiastical Province of Niger Delta Anglican Commission, Most Rev. Ignatius Kattey, has cautioned President Goodluck Jonathan against being stampeded into removing the subsidy on petroleum products.

In a telephone interview with The Tide, Archbishop Kattey who is also Bishop of the Diocese of Niger Delta, remarked that the issue of fuel subsidy removal had been a thorny political one which Jonathan’s predecessors could not implement apparently because of the volatile nature of the policy.

Kattey recalled that Nigerians under the aegis of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) had resisted the planed removal of fuel subsidy under the administration of self-styled military President Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and the governments of Olusegun Obasanjo and Musa Yar’Adua.

He wondered why Jonathan, a Niger Delta son should be used as a tool into removing fuel subsidy which his predecessors tactically avoided.

The cleric therefore advised the president to beware of his advisers who would persuade him into taking a nasty decision on the subject matter which is likely to impact negatively on the lives of the citizenry.

While acknowledging that Nigeria has the cheapest rate in fuel pump price in the world over, Kattey said where the planned removal became inevitable, it should be done in phases in order to minimize the effect of the action on the people.

He also listed another step that Jonathan should take before lifting the seal of fuel subsidy, advising that government should endeavour to tie the revenue accruing from the subsidy to development projects.

The Archbishop noted that the Church of Nigeria prayed for the election of President Jonathan, and said that the church would not want him to take wrong decisions that would bring untold hardship to the people.

He, however, used the forum to pray for the peace, unity and progress of the nation, urging Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political leaning to be supportive of government’s efforts at improving the lots of the people.

Soye Young-Itiye