Paying subsidies, lying about it is nothing to brag about, Atiku tackles Tinubu

Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate for the Peoples Democratic Party in 2023, has criticized the Federal Government for continuing to fund fuel subsidies.

He expressed surprise and concern that the government is still supporting fuel consumption despite announcing the end of subsidies.

This statement was made through a spokesperson on Wednesday. The criticism comes after the government revealed that fuel subsidy expenses are projected to reach 5.4 trillion in 2024.

The Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, disclosed this information during a presentation of the Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP) to President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Tuesday.

Atiku highlighted that even though the fuel subsidy was supposedly abolished on May 29, 2023, payments are still being made secretly under the current administration.

During his inauguration on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu made the bold announcement to abolish the subsidy on PMS, commonly referred to as fuel.

This decision has since become a point of pride for Tinubu and his administration. In my recent statement assessing the first year of Tinubu’s leadership, I called for transparency regarding the subsidy policy.

If the subsidy system was already shrouded in secrecy, what can be said about continuing to pay subsidies covertly without public knowledge? Like many Nigerians, I was taken aback by media reports revealing that the government is still financially supporting downstream consumption.

The ex-vice president criticized the government for funding fuel subsidies while denying it, asserting that Nigerians deserve honesty.

He highlighted that projected spending on fuel subsidy could rise to N5.4 trillion in 2024 from N3.6 trillion in 2023, the year when Tinubu declared the end of the subsidy.

He emphasized that Nigeria’s current state is ineffective and characterized by inconsistent economic strategies over a short period. Supporting subsidies and concealing the truth is not commendable; Nigerians deserve transparency and improved governance.