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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The Allied People’s Movement (APM) has charged the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government to give a comprehensive account of proceeds from the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).
The APM, in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Abubakar Yusuf, yesterday, said the demand is predicated on the worsening economic hardship and collapse of public facilities in the country, since the inception of the President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
President Tinubu, shortly after his swearing in on May 29, 2023, had announced the end of the fuel subsidy regime, stating that saving from the subsidy removal would be channeled towards improving the welfare of citizens.
However, the opposition party noted that despite the over N20 trillion saved from the fuel subsidy removal since 2023, there has been increased poverty, high cost of living and infrastructure deficit across the country..
The APM noted that “for over three years, Nigerians have endured unprecedented hardship following President Tinubu’s May 29, 2023 declaration that ‘subsidy is gone’. This came with an instant surge in fuel price from below N200 per litre to now over N1,500 per liter setting off a chain reaction that pushed transport fares, food prices, school fees, medical bills, house rents, electricity costs and the prices of everyday goods and services far beyond the reach of ordinary citizens.
“More distressing is reports of massive corruption, diversion and frittering of bulk of the funds accruable to the Federal Government while officials continue to bandy figures and fictitious achievements
“Under the APC administration hunger has become a national emergency. Millions of families are going without daily meals. Small businesses are collapsing under rising operating costs. The purchasing power of workers has been abysmally degraded, while poverty and unemployment continue to rise at alarming rates. Across the country, frustration is growing as more citizens struggle to survive.
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“Today under the APC, Nigeria’s infrastructure deficit has hit an estimated $2.3 trillion, with experts stating that the gap would require approximately $100 billion annually over the next 30 years. “
The APM stated that while it is not opposed to reforms that genuinely advance national development, the All Progressives Congress ( APC) led Federal Government cannot continue to celebrate figures on paper, while millions of citizens can no longer afford decent meals, healthcare, transportation, or quality education.
It added that “despite the heavy premiums citizens pay daily, the APC administration is not forthcoming with a transparent account of the trillions accrued to it from the removal of subsidy. No comprehensive public record has been presented to demonstrate how much has been realized, how much has been spent, and whether those expenditures have translated into measurable improvements in the lives of citizens
“The vague claims by the APC government that the proceed is being invested in critical sectors without real figures and specific project or programme is completely unacceptable and cannot substitute for transparency and accountability.
“The APM, therefore, demands that the Federal Government immediately publish a detailed and independently verifiable impact assessment of the subsidy removal policy. Nigerians deserve to know the exact amount saved since May 2023, the projects funded and their locations.
“The APM, therefore, calls on the Tinubu administration to rise above political rhetoric and immediately release a comprehensive public report detailing the total subsidy savings since May 2023, all expenditures made from the fund, the beneficiaries of every intervention, and the measurable outcomes achieved.
“The APM, the voice of Nigerians today, is not asking the Tinubu-led APC Federal Government to do anything extraordinary. We are simply demanding the transparency and accountability that an APM administration would have seamlessly demonstrated by publicly disclosing and accounting for every kobo that belongs to Nigerians.”
