President Bola Tinubu has berated former vice president and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar for promising to restore fuel subsidy if elected president in 2027.
“Let’s look at the trajectory of history. I saw one of my opponents now says he will go back to subsidy. I read it. That is a demonstration of serious ignorance of governance and economy,” Mr Tinubu stated while receiving Governor Ademola Adeleke in the Presidential Villa on Thursday.
Mr Abubakar, in an interview with journalists on Wednesday, said that although he did not oppose subsidy removal, the money saved from the policy was stolen and not reinvested to improve citizens’ lives.
“I didn’t oppose the removal of subsidy. But where is the money? The money gotten should have been used to tackle poverty, out-of-school children and other things,
“Where is the money? They stole it. I will return fuel subsidy. The big thing was that they removed the subsidy, but where is the money? Even if I removed subsidy, I would still work,” the former vice-president said.
Mr Tinubu argued that the country’s financial situation had been significantly worse before his administration came into office, with states struggling to pay salaries.
“Before I came here, 27 states were unable to pay salaries. Not to even talk of pensioners, salaries of workers,” the president noted.
Mr Tinubu said subsidy proceeds funded infrastructure development and improved sectors across the country.
“In your state (referring to Mr Adeleke’s Osun). I know a man who’s nicknamed Half Salary. They come to the federal (government), cap in hand, unable to do anything. The salary you pay feeds families. They were at the local governments. They are in the states. Where is the concentration of population? They are in the states.
“The infrastructure you embark upon on the road network, housing, school rehabilitation, hospital, healthcare pronouncements, resuscitation of healthcare, training of teachers, training of health workers to protect our vulnerable families is part of your responsibility,” Mr Tinubu explained.