Fuel subsidy
Legal luminary and human rights activist, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), has said President Bola Tinubu was right to have removed fuel subsidy.
Besides supporting the fuel subsidy removal, Agbakoba said he was fully in support of correcting the economy. However, he noted, “I do not support the slow pace at which the government is tackling the problem of hardship now.”
The SAN, who is an expert in maritime law, and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, made the points in an interview with Vanguard.
10 ministers
He also told Vanguard that Tinubu needed to reduce the number of ministers to 10 or 12.
He said: “What are you doing with 48 ministers? It is just too big. You don’t need all that. I recommend a maximum of 12.
“So many ministries can be merged and others abolished. What is the Ministry of Information doing? All the press secretaries in the Villa cover what the Minister of Information does. Tell me, what does the Minister of Information do daily? Nothing!
“We also do not need Agriculture and Housing ministries. My take is that the government has no house and does not need a Minister of Housing.
“There should be a very clean sweep; you can bring it down from 48 to about 10 to 12 ministers.
“We should abolish that section in the constitution that says every state must produce a minister.
Fuel Subsidy removal
Recall that on May 29, 2023, President Tinubu declared that subsidy was gone. He later described subsidy as an elephant that would bring Nigeria to its knees.
According to Agbakoba: “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.”
We should institutional palliative — Agbakoba
Speaking on the subsidy removal, Agbakoba said: “The principle of fuel subsidy applies across the world. Every government uses the proceeds to offer palliatives to the aged, the poor and the unemployed.
“The problem with our own is the method of delivery.
“For instance, in the US, there is a social security law. So, the palliative process is institutionalised. It is not administrative.
Source Tinubu right on subsidy removal, but needs only 12 ministers — Agbakoba. Published in Vanguard.
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