NDC Presidential Candidate says 5% one-month discount in less than 4% of filling stations shows reactive governance
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr. Peter Obi, has described the Federal Government’s recently announced 30-day discount on petrol as “political optics masked as policy” and a sign of reactive governance.
Obi stated this on Sunday in a statement titled “One Month Discount on Petrol: From Reactive Policies to Flawed Outcomes!”
According to him, the announcement by the APC-led Federal Government to offer a short-term discount on petrol to cushion hardship was a confused approach to governance.
“I had delayed in reacting to the announcement just to give the benefit of doubt and watch the outcome of the policy. Now, having assessed the outcomes, the policy is a substitution of political optics for sound policy,” Obi said.
The NDC presidential candidate recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on May 29, 2023, removed fuel subsidy without consultation or proper assessment of its impact on the livelihood of Nigerians.
He argued that the removal was followed by other badly sequenced policies, including the floating of the naira and tax reforms, which he said were implemented in a disorganized manner.
“Collectively, these policies stoked inflation in all sectors, pushing in most cases unbearable price hikes across board which placed severe shocks and other adverse consequences on Nigerians,” Obi said.
He listed the outcomes as increasing multidimensional poverty, rising cost of goods and services, exit of businesses, unemployment, insecurity and widening inequality.
Faulting the implementation of the discount policy, Obi said the discount will only be obtainable at about 900 NNPC Retail stations out of an estimated 24,000 stations nationwide.
“With the total number of petrol stations in Nigeria estimated at about 24,000, it means that the discount will be applicable in less than 4% of our petrol stations,” he said.
He added that with Nigeria’s population estimated at 243 million, one NNPC station would serve about 243,000 Nigerians struggling for a N66 per litre discount.
“What really does the President Bola Tinubu led government want to achieve with a one-month discount of less than 5% on fuel cost. Will it reduce poverty, unemployment, insecurity, and inequality?” Obi queried.
The former Anambra governor said that under a productive, transparent and competent government, subsidy should be restored not only on petrol but also in agriculture, health, education and infrastructure.
He said he would in due course provide a detailed policy roadmap on fair, transparent and affordable pricing of petroleum products.
“Nigerians are tired of those gimmicks. It is time for real change,” Obi added.
