Nigerian Governors agree on oil subsidy removal

Nigerian Governors agree on oil subsidy removal

The Nigerian presidency says all the 36 state governors and other key stakeholders in the country have agreed with Government to withdraw oil subsidy.

The governors are of six political parties, made up of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) and Labour Party (LP).

They had some months ago declared that they would not implement the new minimum wage of 18, 000 naira (about 120 US dollars) unless fuel subsidy was withdrawn.

Consultations

Presidential spokesman, Dr Reuben Abati, confirmed to newsmen in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital that Jonathan was carrying out consultations with a wide spectrum of stakeholders in the country, as part of efforts to ensure the passage of the initiative.

According to him: “The truth of the matter is that, since the fuel subsidy bill was submitted as part of that medium term framework, there has been a series of meetings.”

Abati said the removal of fuel subsidy was a government policy which must be accepted by the people, saying that: “It is not just that government wants to ram deregulation down the throat of people.”

The presidential spokesman also mentioned the effort the state governors were making for the success of the initiative, citing their opposition to the continued deduction of money from their allocations in the Federation Account to fund petroleum subsidy.

Abati, who recalled the support for subsidy withdrawal recently given by members of the organised private sector, said intense consultations on the matter would continue at various levels.

NP/Adekusibe/Ekata