Pro-democracy Group Supports Fuel Subsidy Removal

The Natives also asked the President to crack down on people they described as “saboteurs” in the oil and gas industry, especially those hoarding the Petroleum Motor Spirit instead of selling to citizens.

In a press briefing in Abuja, the supreme leader of The Natives, who also doubles as the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum and Energy Related Matters, Civil Society of Nigeria, Mr Smart Edwards, advised the Tinubu administration to reinvest the money previously used for subsidy in the areas of job creation, digital economy, healthcare, infrastructure, education, and agriculture, amongst others.

Recall that while delivering his inaugural speech after taking his oath as Nigeria’s leader, President Tinubu noted that fuel subsidy was not included in the country’s budget.

According to Mr. Edwards, just a few people were benefiting from the 400 billion naira meant for subsidy, therefore it was not sustainable.

“We asked every candidate for the removal. “We demanded it from the past government; we were assured it will never go beyond June.

“We asked the Ministry of Finance; we demanded it from NNPC Ltd. We gathered Civil Society for it, and we knew it was coming. It will end in June, and we will never allow anyone to reinstate this sabotage of our livelihoods.

“No country can consistently allow 400 billion naira monthly to a few Nigerians.

“We support this position, and we agree with the NNPC Ltd too; rather the 400billion naira per month can be invested in the one million jobs, digital economy, health, infrastructure, agriculture, education and incentives.

“We call on Mr. President to give no restraint to the immediate revocation of any licence of saboteurs, deal decisively with any attempt to make live unbearable for citizens by any beneficiary of subsidy or its removal” Edwards said.

Mr Edwards also appealed to all government appointees to be diligent, assuring that sabotage by any appointee will be reported to the President.

He further appealed to Nigerians to align with the President and support him.

The Natives is a group, which comprises of all ethnic groups, languages and tribes with about 20 million members across the Nigeria.