Prominent Civil Rights Advocacy Group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), has described as medicine after death, the promised palliatives by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remedy the uncontrollable hardship created by his arbitrary removal of petrol subsidy.
Also, the rights group faulted the president for hurriedly inflicting pains on the over 130 million multi-dimensional poor Nigerian households rather that arrest and prosecute government officials who fleeced Nigerians in the guise of payments of fuel subsidy.
HURIWA said: “It is so unfortunate that without any kind of comprehensive thought processes, consultations and advanced implementation of effective remedial measures and palliatives to cushion the unbearable pains and pangs of the sudden withdrawal of petrol subsidy, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu proceeded to make a pronouncement that unleashed hazardous economic crisis in a massive scale.
The group also carpeted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd for violating the basic principles of deregulation of the petroleum sector by pegging the purchasing price at highly exorbitant rate rather than let market forces of demand and supply to determine the best pump price for petroleum products.
Tinubu had on Wednesday, July 12, said that he understood the suffering the people are going through as a result of the removal of petrol subsidy and affirmed that his government will soon remedy it. But HURIWA said “the statement is tantamount to subjecting citizens to horrendous pains and after they have almost lost consciousness, you then start applying soothing balms which will ultimately not help the situation.”
The Rights group stated that the request to the National Assembly to approve N500 billion as palliatives in a letter to the two chambers as made by President Tinubu was too little and obviously late in coming and a drop in the ocean if the Federal government has plans to provide palliatives to just 12 million households in Nigeria when statistically, Nigeria has about 130 million multi-dimensional poor Nigerian households.
HURIWA stated that at least 1 million Nigerians have died from starvation and economic deprivation foisted by the sudden withdrawal of petrol subsidy as pronounced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, barely 15 minutes after he was administered an oath of office by the Chief Justice if Nigeria to take over from his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari whose regime is ranked as the most corrupt government in Nigeria since 1960.
HURIWA recalled that the President also emphasized that electricity supply will receive a huge boost, assuring that his policies are geared towards revamping the economy in the interest of all Nigerians.
He spoke at Aso Villa in Abuja during a meeting with the class of 1999 governors, of which he is a member. Tinubu said: “I understand that our people are suffering; yet, there can be no childbirth without pain. The joy of childbirth is the relief that comes after the pain.
“Nigeria is reborn already with fuel subsidy removal. It is a rebirth of the country for the largest number over a few smugglers. Please, tell the people to be a little patient.
“Nigeria is reborn already with fuel subsidy removal. It is a rebirth of the country for the largest number over a few smugglers. Please, tell the people to be a little patient.
“I have an open-door policy. You are my advisers. We went into the pond and wrestled with a pig. We got dirty and cleaned up. That is why I am here today.”
President Tinubu noted that the country will not make meaningful progress without fixing electricity, assuring that his administration will harness gas resources, and explore every opportunity to ensure stable power generation and supply.”
HURIWA has, however, dismissed the so-called palliatives as grossly insufficient, adding “there is no foolproof assurance that the N500 billion wouldn’t be diverted by government officials when it is meant as palliatives for the 12 million absolutely poor Nigerians out of the statistically recognised 130 million absolutely poor households.
The Rights group said the All Progressives Congress past government became notorious for siphoning billions of dollars the Muhammadu Buhari government claimed it was deploying to feed school children and attend to other humanitarian disasters in Nigeria.
“We suspect that these palliatives may be stolen by government officials since the current federal administration has on many occasions told Nigerians that it will continue from where the infamous administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari stopped which could be interpreted that there could be carry over of all the sophisticated corrupt practices the last government is notorious for including diversion of palliatives meant for poor citizens”.
