My stand on petrol subsidy removal, by Tinubu

By Our Reporter 2 hours 5 minutes ago

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Tinubu



Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) national leader and former governor of Lagos State Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has accused the Jonathan presidency of shirking its social contract with the people by suddenly removing petrol subsidy.

He, however, provided a window out of the crisis: if subsidy must be removed at all, it must never be at one fell swoop.  He said it must be on calibrated phases, on which the promised gains are measured and confirmed before moving to the next phase of removal.

“Government must modify the sudden and complete removal of the subsidy.  Either we restore the subsidy or use the funds for other social purposes,” Tinubu counselled in a special statement he captioned, ‘Removal of oil subsidy – President Jonathan breaks social contract with the people’ and which he personally signed.

“If we are to use the funds for other programmes, these programmes shall be placed on parallel track with the subsidy.  As more of these programmes are ready to go on line, then, the subsidy can be lifted in phases. In this way, the public is assured government will not lower its total expenditure on their behalf, thus maintaining the spirit central to the social contract,” he said.

The former governor cautioned the federal government against economic policies that tend to balance the books at the detriment of the people’s welfare.

He said: “As there are progressive politics, there are progressive economics.  As there are elitist politics, there are elitist economics.” It all depends on what and who in society government would rather favour.  The Jonathan tax represents a new standard in elitism.”

The ACN national leader cautioned the president against being captive to economic orthodoxy and its local purveyors, who always look at the Nigerian economy as nothing until when tied to the apron strings of the conservative orthodoxy.

“Because he is slave to wrong-headed economics”; the people will become enslaved to greater misery.  This crisis will bear his name and will be his legacy.  The people now pay a steep tax for voting him into office.  The removal of the subsidy is the ‘Jonathan tax’,” he insisted. 

He said subsidy removal is ill-timed and there must be some conditions precedent before such a step could be taken.

“First, government needs to clean up and throw away the salad of corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).  Then, proceed to lay the foundation for a mass transit system in the railways and road network with long term bonds and fully develop the energy sector towards revitalising Nigeria’s economy and easing the burden any subsidy removal may have on the people,” he said.

The former governor counselled protesters to go about the protests in a peaceful manner and to eschew all forms of violence.

Yeah, thief-nubu looks like an oracle wey dey drink ogogoro.
Lagos people no dey see the Hotel wey Tinubu build. Oriental Hotel!

He raises a good point. I still don't understand why they didn't just phase the subsidy out over 4 or 5 years.

There would be so much less uproar, and you'd get to the same place in the long run.

Like, they choose the most disruptive and riskiest way to achieve a desirable objective, not the smoother path.

Enters the rogue himself
Watch you back folks, this guy Tinubu is a big rogue.

Tinubu you are needed on the streets, not on the pages of your own newspaper which you established with STOLEN funds.

Tinubu's comment compared to GEJ shows clearly that Tinubu is not in the ranks of ur typical backers and mentors like GEJ.
THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COW LEG AND CAPITAL 'V'

TINUBU NI BABA OKO IYA WON!

Well said Asiwaju Tinubu

Very well said Asiwaju.

The is the most sensible and adult take on the whole subsidy fiasco.

Agbalagbi. Twale baba.

Stop giving them ideas jare. Let them self-destroy. Its needed for Nigeria experience progress.

With the recent subsidy up-rise and the post-election violence, PDP may never rig and get away with it again. This is most especially in the West and North.

As usual, we have the brats in the house trying to detract from sensible discussion of a matter that is really very easy to deliberate on.

Tinubu is saying precisely what every sensible Nigerian understands. There is simply no case for this callous blanket subsidy removal. Government and all connected with it recieves, by far, the largest 'subsidy' in form of largesse attached to governance. That subsidy, benefitting 0.0001% should go first before the fuel subsidy that benefits 160 million people .

Poor Ibori is in jail with all members of his family. . .WHY IS THIS DRUG PUSSSSSSHER still roaming around Nigeria and NL?

Oh. . . I forgot. His children and sugar daughters are on NL.

God save Nigeria.

a whole lot of sense

a whole lot of sense

Words of wisdom from Tinubu. Kudos.

Just because a professional thief spoke, some are hailing him, naija for mediocrity

While we are protesting,fellow nigerians at
arms.sanusi lamido sanusi have confirmed on
channels tv this afternoon that OUR STATE
GOVERNORS ACN, PDP, CNPP, ANPP ALL AGREED
WITH JONATHAN TO REMOVE THE FUEL SUBSIDY
AS THEY TOO NEEDED MORE MONEY TO RUN
THEIR STATES. All the while they're coming out to
claim support for protesters is a facade.
They too should equally bear the brunt as fed
govt is already contemplating ceclaring state of
emergency across the country.

OLE NIEEH !

BIRDS OF THE FEATHER !

PDP = ACN, SAME SAME

I am with Tinubu on this one, they guy is making a good point and even if we call him a thief, he remains innocent until proven guilty which your Gvt has failed to do with series of code of conduct trials.

He shld sharrap, he's a greater criminal & more currupt, hence we don't need his contribution. Is his son not the highest beneficiary of fuel subsidy money?

Lekki toll still remains one of the greatest fraud of 21st century. He's part of those that kept Nigeria the way it's today.

“First, government needs to clean up and throw away the salad of corruption in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)

Are you sure Tinubu? How about corruption in the system as a whole?

"I am speaking as a Nigerian now , the government should be able to shift a little" CBN Govr Sanusi Lamido

"I am speaking as a Nigerian now , the government should be able to shift a little" CBN Govr Sanusi Lamido

Not shift a little, they should go back to 65. . .shifting a little was the game plan from the get-go. . you know now. . .you heard Rufai said this is what they do.

Didn't Madueke a.k.a the cabal just yesterday said that, our refineries are at about 60% production now . . .film trick?

You are part of the Problem

We hear. Enjoy the "freedom of speech".

Lasinoh:

Poor Ibori is in jail with all members of his family. . .WHY IS THIS DRUG PUSSSSSSHER still roaming around Nigeria and NL?

Oh. . . I forgot. His children and sugar daughters are on NL.

God save Nigeria.

Cecilia Ibru stole more and has been found guilty but is not in jail, why shld Tinubu who has not been found guilty be in jail like ibori ?

this guy don talk am finish

tIUNBU JEUN SOKE JO0O0O0O0

jidewin:

While we are protesting,fellow nigerians at
arms.sanusi lamido sanusi have confirmed on
channels tv this afternoon that OUR STATE
GOVERNORS ACN, PDP, CNPP, ANPP ALL AGREED
WITH JONATHAN TO REMOVE THE FUEL SUBSIDY
AS THEY TOO NEEDED MORE MONEY TO RUN
THEIR STATES. All the while they're coming out to
claim support for protesters is a facade.
They too should equally bear the brunt as fed
govt is already contemplating ceclaring state of
emergency across the country.

then  why most of the governors  and parties just  keep quiet as if GEJ unilaterally take the decision to remove subsidy.

Whatever names you call this guy, you must admitt that he is intelligent. Why couldn't jonathan, with all his advisers come up with something like this?