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•Insists it’s either we get rid of fuel subsidy or it gets rid of Nigeria
From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Kashim Shettima on his first day in office, yesterday, assured that President Bola Tinubu is poised to redefine the meaning and concept of modern governance.
Speaking to State House Correspondents, Shettima, while responding to a question on their vision for the country, said Tinubu is determined to provide the leadership required to realize the dream of a prosperous country.
“To paraphrase the late John F. Kennedy, ‘to some generations much is given; to other generations much is expected.’ I believe this generation has a rendezvous with destiny and my principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is poised to redefine the meaning and concept of modern governance. I want to assure Nigerians that he is going to provide the lead. He is going to provide the leadership and we will rally round him, give him our unequivocally support and loyalty to see to the realization of the Nigerian dream—a Nigeria where every black man in the world should be proud of.”
The vice president described power as a humbling experience, saying, “It’s all about how we can make life better for the common man. So, I want to assure our countrymen that President Bola Tinubu will by the grace of God catapult this nation to a higher pedestal. He is determined; he has the skills set; he has the temperament; the disposition and the purity of mind and commitment to give service to this nation.”
On fuel subsidy removal, Shettima said: “The truth of the matter is that it is either we get rid of subsidy or the fuel subsidy gets rid of the Nigerian nation. In 2022, we spent $10 billion subsidising the ostentatious lifestyle of the upper class of the society because you and I benefit 90 percent from the oil subsidy. The poor, the 40 per cent of Nigerians benefit very little. And we know the consequences of unveiling a masquerade, we will get fierce opposition from those benefitting from the oil subsidy scam. But where there is a will, there is a way.
“Be rest assured that our president is a man of strong will and conviction. In the fullness of time you will appreciate his noble intentions for the nation. The issue of fuel subsidy will be frontally addressed. The earlier we do so, the better.”
