As reactions continues to trail the recent pronouncements by president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the removal of fuel subsidy culminating to increase in the price of the product, former Deputy Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Rt.Hon.Tola banjo has called on the Federal Government to roll palliatives to cushion the effects and hardship occasioned by the new policy on the people.
Speaking on the debate that has greeted the subsidy removal, the Former Deputy Speaker opined that as good as the policy is, the government needs to take some drastic steps geared towards removing impediments in the country’s petroleum supply chain first, to alleviate the suffering of the mases, before removing the Subsidy.
“When you remove subsidy” For instance, transport cost will rise astronomically, food prices will rise and government must immediately bring some initiatives to cushion the hardship and the palliatives should be different from those that used to be selective in distribution”
“Mass transit buses have to come in to convey workers to and fro their places of work. The initiatives that will complement agriculture should also be looked into,” he said.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) last Wednesday announced a new price regime for petrol for different states, ranging from N488 to N550 per litre.
