Fuel subsidy: Nigeria can’t continue to be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries says Tinubu

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has justified the removal of fuel subsidy, stating Nigeria cannot continue acting as Father Christmas to neighbouring countries.

Tinubu said this on Friday at an interactive session with the Royal Fathers under the aegis of the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) at the Aso Villa.

He informed them of why it is important to remove the subsidy and also touched on improving security and job creation.

‘‘I am grateful that you are paying attention to what I have been doing. You have paid attention to the subsidy removal. Why should we in good heart and sense, feed smugglers and be Father Christmas to neighbouring countries, even though they say not every day is Christmas?

‘‘The elephant that was going to bring Nigeria to its knees is the subsidy. A country that cannot pay salaries and we say we have the potential to encourage ourselves. I think we did the right thing,’’ he said.

He pledged that any roadblock in the way of the progress of the Nigerian people would be removed by his government.

‘The lamentations about the capital projects, where is the money going to come from if we don’t protect our resources and our boundaries?

‘‘You cannot have development without capital projects.”

On the leadership of the National Assembly, Tinubu called on the royal fathers to counsel their subjects interested in elective positions on the need to manage their ambitions and create harmony within the legislative house.

The president declared that he is ready to work with any elected representative from the National Assembly, stressing that the Nigeria project is of paramount importance to him.

He reiterated his pledge to Nigerians to prioritise the sector until every Nigerian “goes to sleep with their two eyes closed.’’

(Guardian)