A member of the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), who is also a public affairs analyst, Comrade Austin Okai, has backed Atiku Abubakar’s proposed return of fuel subsidy, arguing that the Tinubu administration’s removal of the policy has failed woefully and worsened the hardship faced by Nigerians.
He said this in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday.
According to Okai, Atiku Abubakar’s proposed return of fuel subsidy is aimed at cushioning the hardship faced by Nigerians following the removal of the policy by the Tinubu administration. He argued that the government has failed to demonstrate the benefits of the subsidy removal, despite promises of increased revenue, job creation and improved infrastructure.
“Atiku says if elected—which I’m sure is going to be the next president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria—he will return fuel subsidy. That is based on the fact that the current administration of the fuel subsidy removal has failed woefully.
“Before removing it, you said that it would make the government get more money; today, we are living on borrowing. You said that it would address unemployment; today, we are dealing with a high rate of unemployment. You said you would get more money to build roads—you heard what was revealed about the federal roads. The roads are so bad, they are impassable. So, the reality is, what are the advantages of fuel subsidy that was whole-heartedly removed by the current administration immediately he came to power? Where is the money going to? They cannot answer the question. You see that people are suffering. Is government policy meant to impoverish people? No,” he argued.
Clarifying the funding of Atiku Abubakar’s proposed subsidy plan, Okai said its implementation would not require a reduction in allocations to states, as the government generates revenue from taxes and other charges paid by Nigerians. He questioned how these revenues are being utilised, stressing that government policies should prioritise the welfare of citizens, particularly the majority who are not on the government payroll.
“It’s not about reducing FAAC allocations. What is the effect of increasing FAAC allocations? Nigeria is supposed to be a three-tier system. Are we having a functioning local government? Are they getting direct allocations? This is the same government that got a Supreme Court ruling ordering direct allocations from the Central Bank of Nigeria to the local governments. Is that functioning? The governors with increased allocations—is the State Assembly functioning?
“We are generating revenue. It’s not just about subsidy. Government is not about fuel revenue generation alone. Where are these monies going to? The government is generating money. What we are saying is simple. There’s a point we are not getting. It’s not about the governor, it’s not about increasing FAAC. What of the total population of Nigerians that are not on the payroll of the government?What we are saying is that it’s not about increasing allocation; what of the citizens? How are they faring, the voters? 80% of Nigerians that are not on the payroll of the government, how are they surviving?”, he quizzed.
Speaking on Atiku’s alternative revenue mobilisation strategy to ensure that hardship is not created at the sub-national level, Okai said the plan would focus on strengthening tax reforms, increasing internally generated revenue, boosting crude production and maximising Customs earnings.
“Today, we are having a tax reform which increased our internally generated revenue. We have an increase in crude production, which will automatically increase our foreign earnings and directly increase our earnings as a country. So, we have so much money as a Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our tax system is working under the current era. Those are the areas, and apart from that, we have Customs generating revenue. Customs is there and they are generating—we are making billions of money from there. It’s not just about fuel subsidy alone that Nigeria has been surviving on.”
Emphasising the objective of Atiku’s proposed subsidy plan, Okai said the policy would be restored to ease the suffering of Nigerians, stressing that government revenue should ultimately improve the welfare of citizens rather than remain concentrated in the hands of governors.
“He will restore subsidy to ease the suffering of the citizens. The essence of making money is to have money in the pockets of the people, not in the pockets of governors alone,” he stressed.
Addressing concerns over how Atiku’s proposed subsidy policy would be implemented without sufficient legislative backing, Okai expressed confidence that the ADC would secure a majority in the National Assembly alongside the presidency in 2027. He said the current lawmakers’ tenure would expire with that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, paving the way for a new legislature that would support the incoming administration’s policies.
“The current National Assembly’s tenure expires along with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. There is going to be a National Assembly election on the same day with the presidential election—take note of that. Whoever controls the presidency controls the rest. The current House of Representatives and Senate, their tenure is expiring with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The new people are going to come in the coming election, and we are very sure of having the majority in the coming National Assembly election on the same day with the presidential election. Once we dominate the National Assembly, we will have our way in coming up with policies that will be okay for Nigerians,” he said.
Rejecting the suggestion that Atiku’s proposed subsidy policy would be funded by imposing additional taxes on impoverished Nigerians, Okai said the ADC would not disclose its political strategy ahead of the release of the party’s manifesto.
“No, no imposing of additional tax. We would not disclose our political strategy. Along the line, the manifesto of our party will be made known,” he said.
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