In a recent development, Femi Falana (SAN), a prominent human rights lawyer, has called upon the President Bola Tinubu-led federal government to reassess its fuel subsidy removal policy. This plea comes in the wake of claims suggesting that Nigeria continues to bear the cost of fuel subsidies.
Despite President Tinubu’s announcement of the end of the subsidy era during his inauguration, assertions from the World Bank and Mr. Robert Dickerman, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Pinnacle Oil and Gas Limited, allege that the federal government still provides subsidies for fuel.
In response to these claims, Falana issued a statement urging the government to address the allegations and revisit the policy. He expressed concern over the lack of denial from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited regarding the reinstatement of fuel subsidies. Noting the absence of provisions for fuel subsidies in the 2023 and 2024 Appropriation Acts, Falana emphasized the need for the federal government to promptly confirm or refute the serious allegations and bring transparency to the fuel importation process.
Falana also recalled the contradiction in the Buhari administration’s earlier announcement of subsidy removal, only to subsequently spend N11 trillion on “under-recovery” over eight years. In light of this, he advocated for a review of the current subsidy policy, particularly if the federal government is expending significant amounts, potentially up to N1 trillion monthly, on fuel subsidies. Falana emphasized the importance of considering the well-being of the Nigerian people in any policy decisions related to fuel subsidies.
