Chairman of the Rivers State branch of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Mr. Chika Onuegbu on Tuesday, May 5, 2015 called on the incoming Buhari administration to thoroughly investigate the entire subsidy scheme. He alleged that the fuel subsidy payment programme is a fraud as it was framed in favour of oil marketers.
He explained that since the marketers were holding the nation to ransome, Buhari needed to investigate every money that has been paid in error as subsidy and punish offenders. He also argued that the oil marketers were blackmailing the Federal Government to pay claims even when the government disagreed with the marketers figures.
“The whole subsidy scheme should be thoroughly investigated by the incoming government. Much of the fuel subsidy payment is fraud and the PPPRA template is deliberately framed in favour of the marketers. The marketers are essentially blackmailing the Federal Government to pay them their claims notwithstanding the fact that the government does not agree with their figures,” he said.
He further revealed that; “They are simply holding the country to ransom and this must be stopped. The incoming government of General Buhari should investigate the subsidy scheme. Buhari should recover every kobo paid in error or fraudulently and punish any person who has stolen from the subsidy.”
He, however, expressed the need for the country to decide on the issue of subsidy payment. According to him, “We must also as a country decide whether we must continue with fuel subsidy or find better alternatives.”
