Fuel subsidy removal has pushed Nigerians into poverty, Tinubu ill-advised — Kenneth Okonkwo

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Kenneth Okonkwo, has declared that President Bola Tinubu was ill-advised on the removal of the fuel subsidy.

Okonkwo said there shouldn’t be a subsidy in Nigeria due to the country’s level of oil resources and production.

Featuring on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Okonkwo said: “Let us first of all analyse where Nigeria is today so that we will appreciate the sustainability of Tinubu’s ill-advised removal of the subsidy.

“There ought not to be a subsidy in the first place in Nigeria because oil is our product.

“The cost of fuel today is about N1,300 per litre. A Nigerian who has a vehicle with a 100-litre fuel tank will have to pay N130k to fill it up, which is almost twice the minimum wage of a Nigerian.

“Meaning N70,000 paid to a Nigerian can only afford him half a tank for his vehicle, no rent, no food, no medicals, nothing.

“That’s why the IMF is telling you that more than 35 million Nigerians are struggling to feed. No responsible or compassionate leader will sit down and accept such a level of induced poverty by this regime. Forget what you are seeing on paper.”