From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has admitted that the fuel subsidy which is costing the nation trillions of naria must go, saying it was the rich who can afford it that were being subsidised.
He was speaking on the sidelines of the 2023 induction for re-elected and elected governors with the theme: Governing for Impact (Building Sub-national Governance), organised by the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), holding at the State House Conference Center, Abuja.
“Today, tomorrow, it has to be removed at some point, it has to go. It’s tough. Let’s just take it in and bite the bullet. We’ve been on it for over 10 years. There’s been graduated removal and all sorts of things that is not clear and what has happened?
“You know, we are subsidising the rich people that can afford it. There’s differentiated pricing all around the country, the price of what is being sold in the south is different from what is being sold in the south east, south south and in the north. So why are we deceiving ourselves, let’s all have a real conversation and let’s be able to say this is what we need to do to resolve it and deal with it.
“The aftermath of it is for policymakers to be able to come up and say that where the shoe pinches the most these are the remedies. These are the succour we can provide and lets be sincere its been long overdue. How and when we will do it is the call of the federal governemnt but we are willinhg to work with them.”