By Innocent Orok.
Reactions have continued to trail the sudden removal of petroleum subsidy by the current President Bola Tinubu’s regime which has led to over 200% increase in the pump prices of petrol, otherwise known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
Recall that President Tinubu, during his inuagurartion speech on May 29 stated that the era of petroleum subsidy was gone. His speech immediately led to increased pump prices of petrol at filling stations across the country, from the previous official rate of N185 per litre to N500 and above .
Adding his voice to the debate on the subsidy removal, a Lawyer and civil rights activist, Tony Dania, has condemned president Tinubu’s led Federal government for not taking steps to remove impediments in the country’s petroleum supply chain first, to alleviate the suffering of the mases, before removing the Subsidy.
Dania was speaking as guest on a Channel Television Morning programme, ‘ Sunrise Daily” with the theme: Subsidy Removal: Counting the Costs”, on Saturday in Lagos.
According to Lawyer, “We ought to have taken certain steps to overhaul the petroleum subsidy supply chain by removing all the bottlenecks.
“We have Customs, apart from collecting official revenue, they are collecting unofficial leviesbtoo, Navy the same thing, NPA, NIMASA is there. Remove all these bottlenecks and you will be serving not less than N80 from landing cost of PMS ” he said.
Dania urged the Federal Government to liberalize the PMS import chain so that other investors can come in .
Responding to whether he is in support of the last administration’s request to borrow $800million . Dania said ” I’m not in support , just like I was not in support of collecting billions to pay judgement debts , when the government is continuously in existence”.
“In the past the refineries were working and that puts less pressure on our financial system. But now the refineries are not working, despite so much money invested in them”. He said.
He commended the Tinubu administration for promising to unify the exchange rate, noting that it will help marketers to source for their funds. He also questioned why the product cannot be paid for in Naira.
Dania is highly revered as a peace and unity ambassador in his home town, Etsako West, Edo State, where the King, HRM Aliu Kelvin Danesi, has honoured him with the title: ‘Okweogbe of South Ibie Kingdom’ .
He wished President Tinubu would address the sufferings of the masses by implementing people oriented policies as he has promised a renewed hope for Nigerians.
Comment here