Tinubu not sincere about subsidy payments — Bode George

• faults FG’s decision to sell crude oil in naira

Chief Bode George, chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has called upon the Federal Government to be honest with Nigerians regarding the payment of fuel subsidy.

George stated that the Federal Government should guarantee transparency and accountability in the oil and gas sector, stressing that the uncertainty over the removal of subsidy on premium motor spirit, popularly called petrol has thrown Nigerians into confusion.

Despite the announcement of the removal of subsidy on petrol by President Bola Tinubu upon assumption of office in May last year, there are ongoing speculations and debates regarding whether the Federal Government had actually removed the subsidy.

On Wednesday, June 5, 2024, Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP, asserted in a post on X, that the federal government was still covertly paying for the subsidy.

Speaking in his office in Ikoyi, Lagos State, on Thursday night, the former PDP deputy national chairman pointed out that Nigerians had the right to know the true state of affairs in the sector.

“The Federal Government needs to be transparent. One day, we’re told there’s a subsidy, and the next day, it’s gone, Nigerians deserve the truth.

“This constant back-and-forth is confusing. Where is the transparency? Who can we trust?” George questioned.

He also criticised the Federal Government’s decision to sell crude oil to Dangote’s refinery in naira, calling it disastrous for the country’s already volatile economy.

“This decision to sell crude in naira is a ticking time bomb. Crude oil is our major income generator, bringing in foreign currency that bolsters our external reserves. But now, our reserves are already depleted, and this policy could be the final nail in the coffin”, George said.