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Subsidy Removal: CNPP warns govt against worsening plight of Nigerians

The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to exercise caution in the implementa- tion of the its petrol subsidy removal policy as the move will worsen the suffering of the masses. In a statement signed by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Comrade James Ezema, CNPP noted that the APC has continued its “anti-people agenda under President Bola Tinubu administration thereby worsening the suffering of the Nigerian masses.”

The CNPP said it is disturbed that without any cushioning scheme to mitigate the negative impact of the policy on the masses, the Federal Government has gone ahead to increase pump price of petrol nationwide. “As desirable as subsidy removal on petrol may be, a government that has the masses at heart would have first put in place intervention programmes to ensure that Nigerians do not continue to suffer unduly. “For instance, a total rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries or construc- tion of new ones and introduction of subsidised mass transportation schemes as well as improvement on the nation’s railway system are just a few of such intervention schemes that should be in place before the total deregulation of the downstream sector of the Nige- rian petroleum industry.

 

“We therefore call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the timing of his full implementation of the subsidy removal policy to first put in place measures that would reduce the burden of the policy on already impoverished masses of the country,” CNPP said. The group noted that with the unprecedented poverty and job losses in the last eight years of the previous APC administration, it may be catastrophic to increase the suffering of the masses without commensurate measures to enhance the welfare of the ordinary citizens. In another development, CNPP urged President Tinubu not to fall for antics of some individuals plotting to remove the chairman of the Economic and Finan- cial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, from office. The group noted that from its investigations, allegations against the EFCC chairman were mere concoctions and at best, imaginary. It said: “The plots to frustrate the anti-graft war in Nigeria, as seen in the last few weeks, through consistent attacks on the country’s anti-graft agency, the EFCC and its chairman, Mr Abdulrasheed Bawa, remain worrisome.

“We almost believe what we have now discovered to be tissues of lies against the EFCC chair- man and the commission itself, especially the alleged $300,000 said to have been spent by Mr. Abdulrasheed Bawa for Sheraton Hotels accommodation for him- self and his family in Jedda and Mecca during lesser Hajj. “Some groups alleged that Mr Bawa spent $15,000 for 10 days per room and paid for 6 rooms, which they totalled to be $300,000 and considered same far above his means as a pub- lic servant. “First, from the face value of the allegation, the mathematics is faulty because the figures were hurriedly generated to blackmail the executive Chairman of the EFCC. If we go by the allegation, it is obvious that figures being quoted cast serious doubts on the entire alle- gation.

“If the EFCC chairman truly booked six rooms for himself and his fam- ily at the cost $15,000 as being alleged, the total will be $90,000 per day and in 10 days, it will to- tal $900,000 and not $300,000 being bandied about. Therefore, anyone who believes the allegation can be- lieve anything.” The group further noted that its independent findings show that Mr. Bawa neither spent anything close to $900,000 nor the $300,000 for ac- commodation, challenging anyone with contrary view to make avail- able his or her evidence. The group described as amus- ing, the accusation by the immedi- ate past governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, that the EFCC chairman, demanded $2 million as a bribe from him even when he failed make his evidence public. Nothing that it has become very obvious that the attacks on the EFCC chairman are sponsored by politicians, who want to get him out of the way, CNPP said such is expected as corruption is expected to fight back. “All conscious Nigerians will no- tice that the attacks on the EFCC as an anti-graft commission and the chairman of the agency as a person have been incremental since it be- came public that the EFCC has con- cluded plans to go after some former governors and other public officials.

“With about 18 former governors and their deputies under the EFCC radar, it is expected that corrup- tion will fight back, which is what has been happening in the last few weeks. These are some of the forces behind the Bawa must step aside campaign. “We therefore urge President Ti- nubu not to start on a wrong footing by being a victim of the desperation of thieving politicians, who want to mislead him to sack Bawa as EFCC chairman. “Suspending Mr Bawa under any guise will certainly send a wrong signal to Nigerians and the inter- national community that the new administration will be corruption- friendly. “We equally call on conscious po- litical class and the civil society to rise up in defence of anti-graft war in Nigeria and support the EFCC to recover our stolen commonwealth which has been stashed away by corrupt politicians and their allies in Nigeria and in foreign lands. “We demand for an end to the on- going campaign of calumny against the person of Bawa and the EFCC as an anti-graft agency. We hereby urge the EFCC chair- man and all operatives of the com- mission not to be deterred by the calculated attempts to intimidate and frustrate them in their avowed determination to arrest and pros- ecute all corrupt politically exposed individuals, including ex-governors and others officials of government,” CNPP said.

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