Subsidy: Support Tinubu's choice, a group implores Nigerians

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 The Arewa Youth Assembly issued a statement on Thursday urging composure, support, and understanding for President Bola Tinubu's administration in light of the elimination of the subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, also known as gasoline, and the adjustment of pump prices.

Mohammed Danlami, Speaker of the Arewa Youth Assembly, said in a press conference in Kaduna that the subsidy removal was a difficult but brave choice that the previous administration allegedly failed to make.

He praised Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Ltd. for its efforts to address the nation and for swiftly adjusting the price of PMS to address fuel hoarders.

According to Danlami, Nigeria used to pay an average of N120 billion every month for gasoline subsidies.

He advised Nigerians to maintain their composure and to reject any pressure or provocation from those who are fanning the flames of hatred in an effort to sow unrest and instability in the nation.

He added that the elimination of subsidies was consistent with the Petroleum Industry Act 2021, which called for complete dereglementation of the petroleum downstream industry in order to spur investment and expansion.

Few top politicians and important government figures were earning billions through subsidies, while Nigerians struggled to pay for decent healthcare, infrastructure, energy, telecommunications, stable power supplies, agriculture, and a high percentage of unemployment and extreme poverty.

Even if oil prices rise globally, he claimed, "Nigeria and Nigerians will not benefit from the increase in oil prices since the gains from the increase in oil prices are directed to paying subsidies."

Danlami emphasized that paying the subsidy is a waste of money and a misallocation of priorities that will have fatal effects on the country.

"Subsidies have devastating effects on inflationary pressures on the economy, which have a negative impact on currency rates, cause a variety of unimaginable sufferings for the Nigerian masses, and encourage millions of youths to engage in various terrorist and insurgent activities.

"To pay subsidies is to purposefully plunder the future of the generation yet to be born; it is to intentionally plunge our country into a recession, high inflation rates, hunger, terrible poverty, and starvation."

"If we want to have Nigeria as a nation in the ensuing decades, we should not and cannot continue to pay subsidies in this country.

The Arewa Youth Assembly therefore appeals to Nigerians to refrain from politicizing the issue or bringing in issues of religion or ethnicity and to support the removal of subsidies in order to save all because the danger that awaits if we continue to pay subsidies will affect all Nigerians, regardless of their political preferences, tribes, or places of worship.

He said: "It is a difficult and painful choice to make, but it is unquestionably the correct move in the right direction, to rescue not just a few but the entire nation, to restoring the grandeur of Nigeria as the leader of Africa."

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