The Senate had on Thursday approved the request of President Bola Tinubu to borrow $800m loan from the World Bank. It also amended the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to accommodate the provision for N500bn for palliatives to mitigate the effect of petrol subsidy removal on poor Nigerians.
It will be recalled that the President announced the end to subsidy payment to fuel importers and marketers at his inauguration on May 29, 2023. Sessi spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos on Friday, as stakeholders in the sector reacted to the government’s plan. Sessi said, “Looking at the money and the effect of the subsidy removal that has escalated the prices of everything in the market, I wonder what the N8,000 can do for a family in a month.
The labour leader, however, urged the President to instead provide facilities and infrastructure to make Nigerians independent to be able to provide for themselves and their families. He said it would be proper to allow the presidential committee on removal of oil subsidy to conclude its report and arrive at collective agreement with the organised labour before embarking on any palliative care distribution.
“We do not have the data that will show us those that need the funds. We have some data in terms of household poverty as compiled by the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, but that’s not enough because you need comprehensive data, well organised into different categories and structures as to who needs the palliative,” he added.
“There are several options, which the Federal Government has to choose the most appropriate to implement. The key question is do they have a proper register and what impact will N8,000 actually have on the people? ” The National Treasurer of the NLC, Hakeem Ambali, said, “State relief packages should have been rolled out immediately after President Tinubu’s announcement of the removal of fuel subsidy. Some states that really have the interest of their people at heart immediately rolled out palliatives. We, therefore, call on the other states to join the queue.”
Ngawa, who was the Labour Party governorship candidate in the 2023 election, advised the government to use the community approach to get the palliatives down to the poor. He said, “There is no seriousness on the part of the All Progressives Congress government on the issue of subsidy removal and that of palliatives for Nigerians. I am disappointed. No concrete arrangements for the after-effects and palliatives for Nigerians before the announcement of the subsidy removal.