Former All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) director of Election Management, Planning and Monitoring , Dr. Theodore Ekechi has hailed President Bola Ahmed Tinibu on his decision to remove petroleum subsidy, describing the government position as a welcome development and a right decision.
This is even as he said the president should have consulted widely before the inauguration announcement, as it was hasty.
Ekechi, also a former Commissioner of Information and strategy in Imo state and member representing South East in the board of the North East Development Commission (NEDC) noted that subsidy was a scam used to fleece the country of trillions of naira and needed to be removed.
The APC Chieftain who spoke to newsmen in a telephone interview on the state of the Nation argued that previous governments as well as presidential candidates of February 25th election had always agreed that subsidy was a fraud and should be jettisoned.
He said, “My reaction first of all is, let us define the issue and react to the issue. From Jonathan till now every administration had agreed that subsidy is a scam in Nigeria. Almost all the presidential candidates agree that subsidy is a scam running into trillions of Naira over a decade now and should go. Subsidy is not something that is good for Nigeria, being a scam it should be removed. President Tinibu did the right thing.
“The question is how to manage it. My view is let the Federal government isolate one portion or percent that goes to private individual pockets , for me that is the portion that must be reinvested into the economy and make sure that it doesn’t not go into the private pockets. That’s what should be boarding Nigerians and the Labour.
“We are suffering more because of the subsidy scam. Subsidy is a tumor and it has to be removed. How do you remove the tumor so that it doesn’t affect the individual. Some people said invest in the refinery , education or agriculture. My opinion give them to private individual as a loan who will invest so that they can invest in rice production, implements that will increase rice production and others.Lets give it to people who have plants to produce vehicles,, those who wants to take over private refinery or independent power generation and increase power distribution and save money in power generation.”
On the proposed palliative from the federal government, the former election management director said palliatives were not an option, adding that it is another scam that will defeat it’s purpose.
“Palliatives are out of it, it is not an option, it is another scam that will go into private pockets,” he said.
He noted that what is needed most is to rally round support for the president to succeed.
