Fuel subsidy could exist without long queues at petrol stations – Rufai

Arise TV anchor, Rufai Oseni, has stated that fuel subsidy could still exist without long queues at petrol stations across Nigeria.

Speaking during Arise Television’s ‘Morning Show’, Rufai said oil production is currently closer to the market with the coming on board of the Dangote Refinery.

According to him, local production of oil through the Dangote Refinery can prevent shortages irrespective of the subsidy status.

He also argued that Nigerians are not the primary beneficiaries of subsidies but those he described as ‘crony capitalists’ with large infrastructure and contracts.

“The argument that they made was that we don’t want to go back to the days of long queues. No, no. What caused long queues then was because of import logistics. Today, you have Dangote producing locally.

“When we’re still paying subsidies, there were no long queues. We were subsidizing. So you can still have a subsidy regime going on, and there will be no long queues because production was close by. Dangote had it. That’s just it. That argument also falls flat.

“The biggest beneficiaries of subsidy are not Nigerians. They are crony capitalists that have big infrastructure, and they do contracts. They have been the biggest beneficiary of the subsidy,” he said.