CIVAC Declares Support For Fuel Subsidy Removal, Seeks Revamp Of Refineries

An anti-corruption civil society called the Citizens Voice Against Corruption (CIVAC) has stated its support for the fuel subsidy removal undertaken by the administration of Nigeria’s newly elected President, Bola Tinubu.

CIVAC went further to condemn the hypocrisy of Nigerian political figures who have spoken out against the subsidy removal which many have described as abrupt.

The subsidy removal affected Nigerians terribly as the price per liter of fuel had risen from N195 to N537.

The group made its position known in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Abdulrazaq Alkali.

“We the members of Citizens Voice Against Corruption (CIVAC) a platform of numerous civil society organizations and professional bodies, declare our support for fuel subsidy removal and condemn in strongest terms the hypocrisy of some Nigerian political figures.

“For example, both major candidates in the last presidential election made promises to remove fuel subsidy if elected president, but now they are all over the place blaming president Tinubu for doing what they promised to do for Nigerians,” the statement read.

The group added that in other oil-producing countries, increased oil prices translate to increased earnings for the government which could be channeled to other sectors of the economy.

However, it added that this is not the case in Nigeria as those earnings were channeled to financing fuel subsidies.

The Group called on the leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to employ more productive methods to get the Federal Government to review the current price of fuel.

Both bodies have proposed a nationwide strike, specifically because of the subsidy removal, alongside all the unions under them to begin on Wednesday 7th June 2023.

The strike was however called off on the night of Monday, the 5th of June.

“For most oil-producing countries, high oil prices mean high government earnings, more spending on education, health, infrastructure, poverty alleviation, etc. Unfortunately, that is not the case in Nigeria, as the high-profit margin earned from high oil prices is largely swallowed by petroleum subsidies.

“If NLC and TUC leaders do not agree with the removal of petroleum subsidy despite the glaring evidence of the failure of the scheme, they can explore other avenues to prevent high petroleum prices in the country.

“One option is to engage with the government to find a more suitable solution, for example putting pressure on the government to revamp the three national refineries (in Kaduna, Warri, and Port-Harcourt) which can play a significant role in easing the pressure on our forex reserve thus strengthening our currency.

“A strong Naira and local refining capacity will make the petroleum products cheap even without subsidies. In addition, if these refineries are revamped, hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created, thus creating a multiplier effect in the fight against poverty and the growth of our economy.

“In conclusion, it is very critical for NLC and TUC leadership to keep in mind that in pushing the interest of Nigerians forward, they need to choose options that will not worsen our security situation, are economically sustainable, and will open brighter future to Nigeria’s economy and teaming populace – many of which are unemployed, ” the statement read.