We’ve stopped paying fuel subsidy, FG replies el-Rufai

We’ve stopped paying fuel subsidy, FG replies el-Rufai

The Federal Government has said that assertions in some quarters that it’s still spending trillions in naira to subsidise Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are untrue.

The government debunked the payment of subsidy on petrol claim through its Ministry of Petroleum Resources and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

This is even as it challenged those who are alleging the return of subsidy payment to provide evidence to substantiate their claims.

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, stressed that since President Bola Tinubu had declared the end of subsidy on petrol, nothing can change.

He noted that fuel subsidy was a sensitive issue, but noted that the government had made its position known on the matter.

Lokpobiri, in a recent video, insisted that petrol subsidy had ceased to exist, and implored those who alleged that the government was still subsidising the commodity to provide evidence and facts.

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The minister said, “I don’t want to delve into that issue. It is a very sensitive issue. It is better we get all the facts. As far as I’m concerned, the President removed the subsidy and it remains removed till today. Anybody who is saying that subsidy is being paid, it is left for the person to bring the facts and then we will talk about them.”

Asked whether the price being paid for petrol currently is determined by market forces, the minister replied, “It may not be determined by market forces but let us deal with the price as it is today.

“Every government has a duty to do certain things, not only in the petroleum sector but in several other sectors, to be able to cushion the effect and burden on Nigerians.”

El-Rufai had told journalists in Maiduguri on Monday that many citizens were not aware that the government had reintroduced the PMS subsidy.

“The Federal Government is now subsidising fuel; many people don’t know this. It is the right policy. I have always supported the withdrawal of oil subsidies; but in the course of implementing the policy, the government realised that subsidy has to be back; right now, the government is paying a lot of money for subsidy, even more than before.

“You start implementing a policy because you are sure it is the right policy, but in the course of implementation, you come across bottlenecks, and you modify.

“The keyword in leadership, in my view, is pragmatism. You should be pragmatic. So when you make a policy, you start implementing it, and it doesn’t seem to work well. You should have the humility to stand back and say this is not working, and you modify it,” the former governor stated.

We’ve stopped paying fuel subsidy, FG replies el-Rufai