Remove fuel subsidy now before handing over – Kalu tells Jonathan

Former Governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji  Uzor Kalu, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to urgently remove the subsidy on petroleum products before he hands over to the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari on Friday.

In a statement released yesterday, Kalu said if Jonathan fails to completely halt the fuel subsidy regime, which has cost Nigerians over N6.354trillion in the last five years, the President-elect should implement it immediately he is sworn in.

He noted: “The subsidy is not benefiting the poor because the marketers smile to the bank after collecting the full benefit on the over 40 million litres of products (PMS and DPK) consumed by Nigerians per day, leaving a lopsided distribution network, where not all Nigerians are able to get the products at the regulated price of N87 per litre.

Kalu, who lamented the agony and suffering Nigerians who voted Jonathan into power four years ago have had to go through, said the subsidy regime cannot be sustained.

Besides, he advised the Jonathan administration to stop playing politics with the apparatus of government by using it to intimidate and embarrass innocent citizens. Rather, he said such agencies should be used to fight corruption.

“All these intimidation is damaging a lot of serious business people in this country. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) knows corrupt people are and where to get them. How would a public officer wake up one day and buy a house in Maitama and hop on private jet every minute? Nigeria should get serious,” he lamented.