Subsidy: Enugu residents convey mixed reactions over removal

Residents of Enugu have expressed mixed reactions over the formal pronouncement of removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.

Odogwublog.com recalls that the president during his inaugural speech endorsed the removal of the oil subsidy.

Speaking on the development in Enugu, a current affairs analyst, Mr Steve Ofilli said the removal of subsidy was long overdue.

He said it required a bold leader like Tinubu to make official pronouncement on the matter.

He, however, urged the new administration to put in place measures to cushion the spiral effect.

“It takes a bold leader like Tinubu to remove the subsidy once and for all, but he must go ahead to put measures in place to cushion the effect, ” he said.

Also speaking, a Human Right Lawyer, Olu Omotayo, described oil subsidy issue as controversial and fundamental to the economic existence of Nigerians.

“To me the president ought to have  first announced palliative measures that would follow the removal to assuage the feeling of Nigerians.

“Removal of oil subsidy has been an issue since the regime of Olusegun Obasabjo; so, it is an issue that supposed to have been handled gradually, ” he said.

Omotayo said the president would have gone ahead to announce at the same time measures the government had taken to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.

Also speakung, Mr Sam Udekwe, Enugu State Council Chairman of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) blamed the current queues in the state on the announcement.

“Petrol is the economic base of Nigerians. It is the catalyst to the survival of Nigerian economy.

“It’s removal ought to have been gradual in order not to make Nigerians panic.

“You can imagine that as soon as the policy was announced, fuel queues resurfaced.

“We are yet to see the negative impact of the policy in the markets, ” he said.

Mrs Agnes Oforma, an economist and a lecturer at the Enugu College of Education, said the removal of subsidy was not a bad idea but the public announcement was suspect.

According to her, the outgoing administration pegged the removal till June.

“Even when it was going to exit in May; so, the new president was tied and he had no option than to inform Nigerians that this thing has been done before my taking over, ” she said.