All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in Niger State, Jonathan Vatsa, has backed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of the fuel subsidy removal, urging President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the policy.
Vatsa, a former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said Nigerians had suffered severe economic hardship since the removal of the subsidy.
In a statement issued in Minna on Sunday, titled “Let’s Take Atiku’s Message and Leave the Messenger,” Vatsa said the government should focus on the substance of Atiku’s criticism rather than his political identity.
“Even if you don’t like the messenger, you should at least take the message. The whole world knows that the subsidy removal policy of this government has failed; it has pushed Nigerians to extreme poverty,” he said.
Vatsa alleged that the policy had mainly benefited state governors, political office holders and government appointees with access to public funds, rather than ordinary Nigerians.
“The fuel subsidy removal only favoured the 36 state governors, their families, elected political office holders and government appointees who have access to government funds,” he alleged.
“It has not in any way benefited the common masses on the street. It has further pushed the low-income earners in Nigeria below the poverty level. Life is meaningless to average Nigerians right now.”
The APC chieftain also criticised what he described as increased spending on luxury items by some public officials while infrastructure projects remain incomplete.
“Yet you see uncompleted projects all over the country. There are no roads, no schools and no hospitals,” he said.
“They acquired private jets and luxury cars. Their private businesses continue to strive while government projects are left abandoned.”
Vatsa argued that the removal of fuel subsidy should not be presented as an economic reform if Nigerians continue to face rising hardship.
“You don’t call this system reform, it is starvation. Nigerians can no longer breathe, hardship has overwhelmed the people,” he said.
He also faulted the government’s handling of the subsidy system, saying corruption associated with subsidy payments should have been addressed.
“The problem with the subsidy payment in Nigeria is the corruption attached to it which one would have expected the president to address,” he said.
Vatsa further argued that countries sometimes intervene to reduce the impact of rising energy costs on citizens, citing European countries’ response to the energy crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
He urged President Tinubu to reconsider the policy and focus on measures that would reduce the economic burden on Nigerians.
“If only payment of salaries is the reason for the removal of fuel subsidy, then the government is ignorant of how to manage economy,” he said.
Vatsa’s comments come amid continued political debate over the economic impact of fuel subsidy removal and the measures being taken by the Federal Government to cushion its effects.