Abuja, May 31, 2023 – The Natives, a pro-democracy group, on Wednesday declared support for removal of petrol subsidy.
The group said no country could continue to waste huge foreign exchange resources on few people.
Smart Edwards, the Leader of the group, who addressed a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, urged the new administration to go ahead on petrol subsidy removal.
He, however, advised the government to invest the gains from deregulation of the sector on job creation, digital economy, healthcare, infrastructure, education and agriculture.
Edwards called on all Nigerians to support the President’s Road map to prosperity of the country.
He said his group would engage President Tinubu meaningfully to ensure that the country would be governed under the rule of law and for the prosperity of all Nigerians.
“Mr. President, we heard you loud and clear, the budget that you have glimpsed and heard before assuming office makes no room for fuel subsidy, therefore fuel subsidy is gone.
“We want to state clearly that as citizens of Nigeria, we asked for it, we will not postpone any dooms day; as a matter of fact, there is no doom.
“We asked every candidate for the removal, we demanded it from the past government, we were assured it will never go beyond June, we formed a coalition for the sector, we got the assurance of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar, the NLC, the TUC, the Political Parties, former President Buhari, we asked the Ministry of Finance, we demanded it from NNPC Ltd, we gathered Civil Society for it and we knew it was coming, it will end in June and we will never allow anyone to reinstate this sabotage of our livelihoods.
“No country can consistently allow N400 billion monthly to a few Nigerians, we support this position and we agree with the NNPC Ltd too, rather the 400 billion per month can be invested in the one million Jobs, Digital Economy, Health, Infrastructure, Agriculture, Education and Incentives.
“We call on Mr. President to give no restraint to the immediate revocation of any licence of saboteurs, deal decisively with any attempt to make live unbearable for citizens by any beneficiaries of subsidy or its removal.
“Young people, women, disabled and all Nigerians, the time to reinvest over N400bn monthly on us and for our sake, our parents and our children is here.
“We shall engage President Bola Ahmed Tinubu meaningfully to ensure that this country is governed under the rule of law and for the prosperity of all Nigerians.
“The Natives, hereby, call on all Nigerians to align with the President whose colours have moved from blue white and red to green white green.
“The first burden on the Nation is to free Nigeria from those that held us bound by fleecing our resources and improverish our people, it is a new dawn.
“President Abraham Ahmed Tinubu has set to serve, he will make bold decisions, he will consult and will be fair, we trust he will reach out to H.E Atiku Abubakar and H.E Peter Obi and he has already reached out to H.E Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso. We can all build this nation together and the solutions rest in all of us.
“It is not only about elections, it’s about our history, our bond, the people, the parties, the policies, the progress is all directed towards better life for all Nigerians home and abroad,” he said. (GBN)
