Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of lying to Nigerians about fuel subsidy removal.
In a statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the Federal Government is still subsidising fuel despite Tinubu’s claim in his inaugural speech that fuel subsidy has been removed.
He said with oil price now selling at $94 per barrel, and naira exchanging at roughly N1,000/$1, it is obvious that the Federal Government is paying some money to keep the price of fuel at N620 per litre in the country.
“Nigerians should not be deceived. Tinubu’s claim that there is no subsidy is a lie from the pit of hell, and the fact that they are even hiding the information means there is no transparency, and the money is probably being stolen again,” the former vice president stated.
Atiku also accused Tinubu of running a clannish government, despite his promise to Nigerians in his inaugural speech to “serve with prejudice towards none.”
He alleged that Tinubu is “running a government of the clannish, by the clannish and for the clannish,” pointing out that all key appointments he made in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), customs, army, police, immigration, went to his own part of the country, while “he himself is the petroleum and gas minister”.
“Tinubu appointed 10 ministers from the South West and only five from the South East. If this isn’t prejudice, I don’t know what it is,” he added.
Atiku said he has been justified when he raised the alarm that the $3 billion loan the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) claimed to have obtained from Afrexim to stabilise the naira, was a ruse.
“Perhaps the biggest scam and deceit of the Tinubu administration was the Student Loan Act, which he signed on June 12. “The new law provides loans for students’ tuition only. It doesn’t cover any other educational expenses. “After the law was signed, all Federal Government schools began increasing school fees.
“So if tuition is free and the Students Loan Act covers only tuition fee, that means the Student Loan Act is pointless, and no money will be released. “In essence, Tinubu’s government has prodded government schools to increase fees while no loans will be given to the students. This is the height of deception and wickedness.”
