By Chidi Ugwu
The Democratic Front (TDF) has responded to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s decision to remove fuel subsidy, describing his remarks as “hasty and thoughtless”.
In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mallam Danjuma Muhammad, and Secretary, Chief Wale Adedayo, the TDF wondered why Atiku has not come up with a better alternative to the current administration’s policy.
The group challenged Atiku to present Nigerians with his own option to fuel subsidy removal or tell the public how he intends to sustain the petroleum subsidy regime without external borrowings.
“We urge him to present Nigerians with his own option to fuel subsidy removal, or tell the public how he intends to sustain petroleum subsidy, which he also promised to remove during the election campaigns,” the statement read.
The TDF also provided insight into the price of food across markets, painting a different reality from Atiku’s claims of “hunger and despair”.
According to the group, the price of foodstuffs is fast crashing in the country, with a local cup of rice selling for N1,400 and a cup of maize selling for N400 in most Northern markets.
The group defended President Tinubu’s policies, saying that the termination of the fuel subsidy regime has enabled the sub-nationals to embark on infrastructural projects, payment of the new minimum wage, and to clear debt owed to local contractors.
“Available records show that not only has the government commenced payment of the new salary scale to federal civil servants, but it is also clear that no government has paid workers as much as the Tinubu administration is currently doing,” the statement added.
The TDF appealed to Nigerians not to take Atiku’s criticism of fuel subsidy withdrawal seriously until he can provide a strategy to sustain the subsidy regime without external borrowings.
“Our advice became necessary because his criticism of fuel subsidy withdrawal, without proffering alternatives, is fast eroding what remains of his reputation as a former Vice President,” the group said.
