Nigeria’s Trade Union Congress (TUC) and various Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in the country have faulted the claims by the Federal Government that subsidy payments have gulped N10.413 trillion in the past 13 years.
The civil society organizations under the aegis of Joint Action Front (JAF) contended that the present government had in 2016, told Nigerians that subsidy had been removed after jerking up the pump price of petrol from N86.50 to N145 per litre.
Similarly, TUC said the ruling party had during its campaign in 2015, said fuel should not sell for more than N34 per litre, wondering why the Federal Government is now hiding under the umbrella of subsidy to inflict more pains on Nigerians.
Secretary of JAF, Abiodun Aremu, challenged government to publicly disclose what accrued as revenue from the sale of crude oil from May 11, 2016, to August 2020, adding that the present regime by its pronouncement that over N10 trillion was spent on fuel subsidy must be exposed for its lies and atrocities.
“Rather than being hoodwinked by this regime, we should ask the regime to declare the total amount of unpaid subsidies of the differential between N86.50 and N145 saved from May 11, 2016 to August 2020, which we strongly believe must have been looted.
Also in its reaction, the Trade Union Congress, TUC, described the issue of subsidy as the height of deceit by the federal government.
TUC President, Quadri Olaleye, said: “The Congress is surprised because in the build-up to 2015 general elections, Nigerians were told that there was nothing like subsidy. We were further told that fuel should not cost more than N34.50 per litre.
“It was one of their cardinal campaign promises that the refineries would be fixed. These and many more were promised to us, hence, Nigerians went out en masse to vote for this government. This is the height of deceit.
“If the truth should be told, we are disappointed because the N10.413 trillion government claimed to have been spent on subsidy is enough to fix the refineries and even build several modular refineries.
“Why is the government destroying alleged ‘illegal refineries’ in the Niger Delta when they have no alternatives? Do the people using the locally refined fuel complain that their engines are having problems?
“China will do the opposite by encouraging the local refiners. It does not make sense that for decades we export crude and cash crops only to import finished products. No country develops that way. Check out history if you will find any.