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…Says President Tinubu ill-advised
From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
An oil and gas investor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Chief Ayiri Emami, has warned that the Federal Government’s approval of a 15-percent import duty on petrol and diesel would place more financial burden on ordinary Nigerians, who are already struggling with rising living costs.
The tariff, which was recently approved by President Bola Tinubu and to be implemented by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), in collaboration with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), aims to protect local refineries and stabilise the downstream oil sector.
According to Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) chairman, Zacch Adedeji, the initiative seeks to operationalise crude transactions in Naira, strengthen local refining capacity and ensure a stable and affordable supply of petroleum products. He said the move would “prevent duty-free fuel imports from undermining local refineries and promote a fair, competitive downstream sector.”
However, Chief Emami, who is also the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of A & E Group, with investments in oil and gas, construction and haulage, described the policy as ill-timed and counterproductive, warning that its real impact would be felt by citizens, not marketers.
“Anybody advising Mr. President to impose a 15-percent tax on petroleum right now is not doing him any good,” Emami told journalists in Abuja.
“This kind of policy will not hurt marketers, it will hurt ordinary Nigerians. Whatever tax you put on petroleum goes straight back to the people on the streets. Nigerians are already hungry and struggling.”
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He lamented that people in coastal and rural communities, particularly those who depend on fishing and small-scale trade, would be the hardest hit by any increase in fuel prices.
“In my area, especially among those of us who live by the river and depend on fishing, the cost of fuel affects everything. When you buy fuel, it determines whether you can even go out to fish. It’s not that the fish are gone, it’s that we can’t afford to reach them anymore,” he said.
Emami urged the Federal Government to rethink and suspend the tariff until it provides sufficient relief measures to cushion the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
“For me, that 15 percent should be kept aside until the government provides more relief to Nigerians,” he said. “Even after removing fuel subsidies, we haven’t seen much positive reflection. Things are still hard. So why add another burden?”
The APC chieftain further cautioned against policies that could worsen public frustration and undermine confidence in the Tinubu administration.
“Some people don’t care about Mr. President or what he’s going through; they just want to create more problems,” he said. “Those are my honest opinions on the matter.”
President Tinubu’s administration has defended the move as part of a broader strategy to boost domestic production and end over-dependence on imported fuel.
