A former minister of transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has queried the removal of fuel subsidy by Bola Tinubu on his first day in office as Nigeria’s president.
Speaking at a two-day event, Amaechi, who also served as a governor of Rivers State said Tinubu failed to prioritise or put into consideration, the need for social housing and job creation before removing fuel subsidy.
According to Amaechi providing such social safety nets would have created room for citizens to adjust swiftly to the new subsidy removal policy.
He said it would also create jobs and improve the flow of cash among citizens especially those in the informal sector.
However, stating the removal of fuel subsidy was unaviodable for any Nigerian president said he would have done it different if he was elected as Nigeria’s number one man.
His words, “There is nobody that would have become president that would not have removed the subsidy. What I don’t know is what time was appropriate for the removal.”
“How prepared was the Tinubu government when he announced the removal?” Amaechi queried.
“My wife and children asked me what I would have done differently. My response was this: I would remove the subsidy, but I would not remove it without social housing,” the former minister state.
He said the government could make do with funds saved from subsidy removal and the devaluation of naira to ensure that the housing deficit challenge is tackled.
“Why? With the money saved from subsidy removal and naira devaluation, it could be used to build between 200,000 and 300,000 houses.”
“If you build between 200,000 and 300,000 houses in the states, how many jobs have you created? At least 300,000 bricklayers, 300,000 carpenters, and 300,000 plumbers. By the time you do those things, what have you done? You have put money in the hands of the people,” he stated.
