Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Political Matters, Ahmed Ali Gulak, has said that Nigerians have seen the need for the removal of fuel subsidy.

Gulak said: “It has now dawned on everybody that we cannot continue to sustain this subsidy.”

Gulak stated this in Abuja when he received in audience members of the Initiative for Diaspora Knowledge Transfer (IDKT), led by its Chairman and Global Coordinator, Prince Chidi Ibe, who said the modules developed by IDKT is capable of changing a lot of misconceptions about the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Gulak said Ibe has been part of the journey of Jonathan’s presidency since 2010 when the project of Goodluck Jonathan was started and subsequently, Goodluck/Sambo.

He said: “Mr. President is hungry for development,” adding: “That is the more reason Mr. President has always said that it is better for Nigeria as a country to deploy our resources to productive sector, rather than consumption.”

Gulak further said: “Take for instance, in January, Mr. President said we have to do away with this fuel subsidy of a thing and most people did not take it the way we saw it and there was a protest all over the country.”

He said it has now dawned on everybody that the country cannot continue to sustain the subsidy regime, which forces Nigeria to continue to spend over N1 trillion on consumption.

He added that if the country had been deploying the resources to productive sectors such as agriculture “where youths will be employed, like railway system where they will have the cheapest mode of transportation, like our public works, it will be better for this country than subsidizing petrol consumption that will be available to a section of the community.”

Gulak promised to look into the modules earlier presented by Ibe and his team, especially the trade and agricultural aspect, where Ibe spoke about the cluster.

He said he would refer Ibe to the appropriate Ministries, Agencies and Departments (MDAs) to see what the government can tap from Ibe’s knowledge.

Speaking with Saturday Sun, Ibe said his purpose of visiting the Office of the Political Adviser to the President was to tell the government that IDKT has quick-fix projects that the government could adopt to show it is working.

Ibe said: “The modules are things that are also job-creating, job-oriented modules that we have. We want the political office to push it to the administration to come up with quick-fix projects that the people will really appreciate.”

While saying that his initiative was hinged on transformation, Ibe further said: “We believe that you can’t leave everything to government to do. So, we bring our own ideas to support the government so that the government can tap knowledge from what has happened in other economies so that the government will be able to further their own development.” source-http://sunnewsonline.com/new/national/its-time-for-total-removal-of-fuel-subsidy-presidency/

It's about time to stop this enrichment of a few

Its high time we stop wasting money, the 40bn they want to spend on printing new currency should be put into better use

BTW, how has the past leaders survived with the subsidy, it is not by force to rule a country, he can jst do us the favour of resigning...

Soon, the Nairaland "opposition" will start throwing obscene tantrums!

The removal of subsidy is long overdue. No economy can ever grow under this arrangement were a quarter of national budget is used to subsidize one product.
The subsidy thing encourages importation and kills local production. I undertstand the govt under Obj issued licenses for people to build private refineries but all of the beneficiaries abandoned it in favour of importation.
In a business sense, It's more profitable to import than to start building refineries which is capital intensive and can only yield returns at the long run. The best thing is to close subsidy so that real investors can come in to build refineries as it is the practice globally. Government should not have any business in the oil sector apart from regulatory role.
When subsidy goes, it will pave way for deregulation of the downstream sector. Let market forces and competition between the private refineries dictate pump price, not the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Those who are deceiving the masses with the gist that subsidy withdrawal is anti people will be shocked when their predictions of doom fail. Because when private refineries come on board, there won't be need for importation so prices will even fall far below the current rate. In addition, there will be massive employment opportunities for Nigerian youths in the private refineries.

Subsidy! subsidy! subsidy!. Enough of this subsidy thing. Let them just remove it so that we will rest. I was one of those who stood against this subsidy removal in January but with the turn of events I am having a rethink. The 90 Naira thing was just rubbish. We could as well have left govt to have their way so that by now we can challenge them on it. Besides I don't thnk that in a post subsidy era, NUPENG and oil marketers will hold us to ransome like they did during Sallah holidays in Abuja.

Removal of oil subsidy is long overdue...Nigerians must face this reality. We must drop this dependent mentality. Someone should also help me tell opposition parties that we are tired of all of them lacking political ideaology.it appears Opposition parties only seek their cheap popularity from Jonathan's policies...can they put on their thinking caps, present a workable plan and not leading demonstrations.

Wonder why the FG is not looking into cutting their own excesses too.

House of Reps earn £1 million/yearly, Jonathan with £4 million per annum feeding allowance. Who are we kidding?

DEREGULATE. Deregulation is what is required to get PRIVATE refineries to come in. The term subsidy will not cease as long as a people exist. It will also continue so long as govt in power is sponsored by crooks. All you need to get subsidy regime to resume is to tag imported fuel with an outrageous price that will send the citizenry to the street.

Ps: How much will it cost to refine 1litre of petrol locally?

Everybody was misled in January,and people took to the streets,probably because the president offered subsidy removal as new year package. The truth is that subsidy has been breeding looting and heavy corruption. I was and still remain of the opinion that I should be removed completely, I only spoke against the timing,when people with limited resources had travelled the breath and length of this country. Nigerians are now wiser,and after the jamboree exposition of what has been going on In that sector, I don't think that any sensible Nigerian will advocate for the continuous payment of subsidy. We may all suffer for a while,but it will onl be temporary. Subsid should go please!

Not everyone was misled. What is certain is that if local refining capacity is not first increased so called subsidy regime will eventually return thru the same mechanism that got the figure bloated last time.