By Charles Adingupu
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has agreed with President Bola Tinubu on the issue of subsidy removal.
IPMAN National Public Relations Officer, Mr. Yakubu Suleiman declared unequivocally that deregulation of the oil sector and subsidy removal is the only way to make Nigeria great.
“Removing subsidy is the only answer to make Nigeria great,” Mr. Suleiman said on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Wednesday.
On Monday during his inaugural speech at the Eagle Square in Abuja, Tinubu said the era of subsidy payment on fuel has ended, adding that the 2023 Budget made no provision for fuel subsidy and more so, subsidy payment is no longer justifiable.
“The fuel subsidy is gone,” Tinubu said, noting that his government would instead channel funds into infrastructure and other areas to strengthen the economy.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has since backed Tinubu on the removal of fuel subsidy.
However, the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC) said the President cannot unilaterally take a decision on subsidy removal, saying that there was a reason the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari pushed the “sensitive issue” to the new government.