Buhari didn’t remove petrol subsidy because he’s friend of the poor- Femi Adesina

Adesina said during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, Buhari told
Zainab Ahmed, a former minister of finance, to ensure timely payment of
workers’ salaries and pensions.

He added that Buhari understood the challenges workers faced
during the pandemic and was determined to avoid the additional burden of unpaid
salaries.

“The Big Elephant in the room. Removal of fuel subsidy. Did
you think the Government didn’t know that the money guzzling monster had to be
slain? It knew,” Adesina wrote.

“But who ensured that subsidies remained as long as it did?
Buhari. And why? The people, the ordinary people. His argument was always
simple:

“When oil sold for at least 100 dollars per barrel in the
international market, rising even to as high as 140 dollars per barrel, what
did the ordinary people gain? Nothing! So why should they be the ones to bear
the brunt when oil prices fall?”

“By the time the administration ended, all, including the
three main presidential candidates, were resolved that oil subsidies had to be
removed.

“It was not unlikely that President Buhari shared the same
conviction. But something that would throw society into a tailspin? He didn’t
want to do it—for the sake of the ordinary people.

“Ordinary people gravitate towards Buhari, like bees to the
honeycomb. That was why he always had a basket of millions of waiting votes,
even before the first ballot was cast.

“He clobbered the ruling People’s Democratic Party in 2015,
and won with even larger votes in 2019, despite all attempts to denigrate and
demarket him. When you love the ordinary people, they love you in return, and
stand with you through thick and thin.

“Now almost two years into retirement, get to Buhari’s house
today. And you see the people milling around, just wanting to get a glimpse of
the man.

“As he turns 82 December 17, 2024, I salute the Ore Mekunu,
a friend of the poor, who still draws the people like magnet, even in
retirement.”

THE PETROL SUBSIDY
ISSUE

Buhari was sworn in as Nigeria’s president on May 29, 2015
and handed over to President Bola Tinubu on May 29, 2023.

In August 2022, the Buhari-led administration said the
federal government will halt the costly petrol subsidy in June 2023.

Ahmed, former minister of finance, budget and national
planning, said the 2023 budget only made provision for petrol subsidy payments
from January to June 2023.

During his inauguration, Tinubu announced that the payment
of petrol subsidy had stopped — a move that led to sudden hike in the price of
the product as well as goods and services in the country.