The federal government has revealed that no conclusion has been reached on how to mitigate its effect on citizens, with about three months to the withdrawal of petroleum subsidy.
Clement Agba, the minister of state for Budget and National Planning, told journalists on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that notwithstanding the works of the committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo for about a year now, nothing definite has been agreed on the matter.
Agba, fielding questions on the consequences of the subsidy removal without necessary palliatives to lessen the impact, however, expressed optimism that the committee working with state governors will arrive at a common position on the matter.
Continuing, he said there is no timeline for Osinbajo’s committee to conclude the discussion which, according to him, is ongoing.
He recalled that under the federal government’s 2022 to 2023 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework, a proposal of N3.3 trillion was made for fuel subsidy between January and June 2023.
Agba said: “For over a year plus now, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo has been leading a committee working on this and the National Economic Council also has a committee that has also been working on this.
“So, the stage that we are in now is how to finalize the suggestions that have come out from both the federal government and the governors side.
“Like you know, it is something that is going to affect the entire nation.
“They will just have to ensure that everyone is carried along, that is both the federal and subnational governments.”
Meanwhile, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed who also briefed the journalists, announced the postponement of the 2023 population and housing census earlier scheduled for March 29.
The Minister said this came following the postponement and rescheduled governorship elections to March 18 by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He also revealed that the Council approved N2.8 billion for the National Population Commission to procure software to be deployed for the census.
“There was a memo presented by the National Population Commission, seeking for some software to allow them conduct the census in May this year.
“I believe because of the rescheduling of the elections, they cannot commence the census as planned.
“They sought Council’s approval for a contract to procure software for the census at the sum of N2.8bn,” he said.
Buhari Hardships: Commuters Groaning As Fuel Still Sells For N380/Litre In Benue
Commuters and motorists in Benue State are groaning over the price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol which is still selling for as high as N380 per litre despite the intervention of the NNPC Limited.
The situation has been made worse by the unavailability of the product in virtually all the filling stations owned by major marketers in the state.
Findings indicated that while the few Independent Marketers who have products sell to desperate motorists for between N270 and N300 per litre, black marketers sell for between N360 and N380 per litre.
The NNPC Mega Station on Otukpo Road which is selling at government-approved prices cannot be easily accessed as vehicle owners make frantic efforts to gain entrance into the station to buy the product.
Some of the motorists who could not hide their displeasure over the unabated development appealed to the authorities to intervene and address the issue.
David Okube, a commercial motorcycle operator, who was among the multitude of riders who were waiting to purchase the product from the Mega Station lamented that major petrol stations in the state were deliberately making life unbearable for the people by not dispensing products to the public.
“Why will it be only the Maga Station that is selling fuel to the public? Why are other major marketers not selling weeks after the government took steps to ensure that there is enough product in the country?
“Even nearby Abuja which was hard hit by scarcity now has products. But when you come to Benue state they are selling to us at between N270 and N300 per litre while the black marketers are selling for about N380 per litre some even sell for N400, especially at night.
“We cannot continue like this because the people are suffering. If you come to Mega Station to buy you will spend the whole day here and if you are unlucky you might not get to buy before they luck up,” he said.
Also, a medical doctor who spoke on condition of anonymity on Friday, December 30, 2022, lamented that it was unacceptable for Nigerians to continue to go through pains in order to buy petrol.
“How can a responsible and responsive government allow its citizens go through this kind of pains in order to buy fuel? I am a medical doctor who is supposed to be in the hospital attending to patients but I abandoned that assignment to search for fuel. Why are all the major marketers in Makurdi not selling fuel? Why are we still buying fuel for about N300 per litre in Benue? It is killing, to say the least.”
Source: The Guardian
