Operators Urge Buhari To Remove Fuel Subsidy

Operators in the down
stream sector of the petroleum industry have advised the president-elect, Gen Muhamadu Buhari, to remove subsidy on the importation of fuel in order for him to succeed.
The operators said one of the best decisions taken by President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration was the attempt made in 2012 to remove the fuel subsidy, but noted that the development was faced by nationwide protests.
A marketer, Mr Abiodun Komolafe, at Ascon Oil Depot in Apapa Lagos said that if Buhari desires to be the peoples president, he should remove the fuel subsidy.
Abiodun said that the money that is used to subsidise fuel importation yearly should be diverted to agriculture, electricity and education to open up the petroleum market and force down fuel price.
“Subsidy is like a rotten meat, if you don’t remove it, flies will continue to come around, the subsidy is a curse. The immediate consequence of removing the subsidy is that people will shout and pressure groups will begin to lament, this is because those who are benefiting from subsidy will engineer people to protest.”
“But sincerely, if we table the merits and demerits of fuel subsidy to the masses, they will prefer it removed, it creates a large gap between the rich and the poor”, Abiodu said.
Also speaking, an official of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of NUPENG, Mr Badmus Tajudeen, alleged that depot owners are most culpable in the fuel subsidy mismanagement.
He noted that fuel subsidy was introduced in 1985 by the military administration of General Ibrahim Babangida in order to favour northerners.
“The depot owners and the northerners are sharing the money, subsidy came in through Babangida in 1985 and Nigeria has been existing before this time without subsidy. We will still exist.”
He, however, warned that the cartel in the petroleum sector will never support the removal of subsidy because they would want to remain rich.