Mr Peter Obi the presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP) and former governor of Anambra state, who is currently attending his presidential election petition case at the Court of Appeal, was ambushed by judicial correspondents on Tuesday, June 6, 2023. Upon being asked for comments, he declined to speak on the case before the court. However, the correspondents persisted and demanded that he comment on the issue of subsidy removal, which government representatives had claimed he supports.
In response, Obi, a former member of President Goodluck Jonathan’s Economic Management team, stated that he has actually been in support of the removal of subsidies from as far back as the Goodluck Jonathan era. He went on to explain that he had consistently advocated for the removal of subsidies on the basis that it was organized crime, with people stealing the resources of the country. He also referenced statistical analysis which demonstrated that the amount of fuel being consumed by the country was not as high as what was being claimed.
In addition, he gave an analogy to the reporters using a “tooth pain” removal scenario to explain his stance on the matter. Obi likened the process of removing subsidies to having a painful tooth. He explained that just like a dentist would apply a local anesthetic to numb the area around a tooth to be removed, the process of removing subsidies should be done gradually and with caution. Furthermore, he explained that taking a forceful approach to removing subsidies could lead to a different kind of pain for the citizens, and as such, he supported the gradual removal of subsidies in a way that would not hurt the people.
Furthermore, Mr Peter Obi referenced past government policies to support his stance on removing subsidies gradually and with caution, pointing out that during the Goodluck Jonathan era, when the government intended to remove subsidies, they introduced various programs such as Sure-P and others to cushion the effects on the citizens. He also referred to their manifesto, stating that it clearly outlines their plans for removing subsidies, which involves governing with the people and using statistical and empirical evidence to demonstrate the benefits of subsidy removal.
According to him, the problem with Nigeria’s government is that it often tells the masses to make sacrifices for a better future, yet that future never seems to arrive. He emphasized the importance of actually making significant improvements to the lives of the suffering masses, instead of relying on empty promises. GMTNews
