Fuel Subsidy Was Removed By Buhari Not Tinubu- Senator Ashiru To Nigerians

Senator Oyelola Ashiru (Kwara South), on Tuesday, clarified that it was the immediate past President Muhammdu Buhari that removed the fuel subsidy, and not the just inaugurated President Bola Tinubu.

Senator Ashiru made the clarification in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists on the insinuation that the new President removed subsidy on Petroleum, leading to the sudden return of queues at filling stations across the country.

He spoke shortly after a public hearing on Public Procurement Act, which his Committee on Establishment at the National Assembly Complex.

He noted that President Tinubu was being honest with the pending subsidy removal, by reiterating that government had concluded plans to take the contentious subsidy out of the nation’s annual budget.

“Tinubu is just been honest with pending subsidy removal. However, the reality of it is that the Federal Government can not sustain subsidy in petroleum in our economy.
We are paying far less than what other countries are paying for a liter of petrol.

“The beauty of it is that the money we are spending to subsidize the product is much more than we are spending on infrastructure.
So, we have to task ourselves and live life we want to live and pay for it.”

Commenting on the bill which went through public hearing, he said: “we are working on Public Procurement because it is an important process in government expenditures. It is an important process in delivery of goods by government and it is very important too if we are very serious about checking corruption.

“It is important too if we are thinking of achieving government goals. That is why we have to be continuously tinker with the procurement Bill.’

He noted,”We are trying to make it all inclusive, more functional and more productive to all Nigerians. The new government has to continuously rejig our process to make procurement more vibrant, more meaningful and safer.

“We are talking to consultants captain of industry and professionals that are working on how to operate Procurement Act.We need to take them along.”