Executive Secretary/CEO, Nigerian Shippers Council (NSC), Mr Pius Akutah, has said President Bola Tinubu kept to his campaign promise by removing fuel subsidy. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Tinubu announced the removal of subsidy on petrol immediately he was sworn in on May 29, 2023.
“The very first day, he took a very bold initiative to remove fuel subsidy, which many of you have written and condemned in the past. We don’t know if other people would have had the courage to go ahead and remove it. All the presidential candidates at that time promised to remove the fuel subsidy but this President has displayed that capacity to do what he said,” he said.
According to him, Tinubu, in the last two years, took some bold steps, taking some policy directions that are shaping the economy.
He said that the country’s foreign reserves were in bad shape when the current administration took over the government, adding that now there is significant growth.
Akutah said that the President acknowledged that there was hardship, but he stuck to that policy, which has brought a lot of gains in the way of government business today.
“Even at the sub-national levels, you know that state governments have more money now; local governments have more money due to that policy direction.
“We need to commend President Tinubu for that initiative, which has put more money at the sub-national level for capital projects to spring up.
“We are seeing many states executing many capital projects and huge infrastructural developments going on in so many states,” he said.
He said that for Tinubu to have acknowledged developments in opposition states means he is eager to see the country developed in terms of infrastructure.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are in his party, but the moment you are doing the right thing, he will stand with you, and he acknowledged that publicly.
“The GDP was at one very low and the growth was very slow and sluggish before President Tinubu assumed office,” he said. (NAN)
