Ex-CPC Chief Defends Subsidy Removal

The former National Publicity Secretary of Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Mr Dennis Aghanya, has described the removal of fuel subsidy as a sound economic policy by the Federal Government.

Aghanya who said this in Abuja in a telephone interview with The Tide correspondent  noted that in spite of the hardship, the removal of the subsidy was in the best interest of the country.

He said: ‘’the fuel subsidy removal was a bitter pill to swallow, no doubt about it; but we think it is a good economic policy because of the corruption that has been identified in the oil sector, “subsidy should go because there are people who are benefitting fraudulently in the subsidy scheme’’.

Aghanya also said that the removal of the subsidy would open up the market for investors and ensure healthy competition among fuel marketers.

He, however, appealed to the government to ensure proper utilisation of the resources that would accrue from the fuel subsidy removal.

‘’Let government utilise the money from subsidy withdrawal and assure Nigerians that the money will be judiciously used to provide infrastructure’’, he said.

Aghanya also urged the government not to allow “another cabal” to emerge from the committee on the implementation of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) programme.

‘’Let the government make sure that another cabal does not emerge from the Subsidy Re-investment committee in terms of the management of the funds,” he advised.