The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has said the Federal Government didn’t suspend the removal of fuel subsidy because of the 2023 elections.
Adesina said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme, on Wednesday.
“It is a valid thing [to do],” he said of the government’s suspension of the removal, adding, “but is this done because of elections next year? No.”
“It is done because as the minister (of finance) stated, the timing is not auspicious, inflation is still high. In the past eight months, we saw inflation reducing but the last month, it went up again; further consultations need to happen with all the stakeholders.”
Adesina also stated that the intention of the Federal Government to extend the removal of fuel subsidy by 18 months was not to set a booby-trap for the next president.
“That was not the intention, the intention was also stated – the timing is not right, it will exacerbate the hardship of the people and the President genuinely cares,” the presidential spokesman said.
“Politics is a part of our lives, but elections will just be one event in the life of the country. When elections come, they go, the country continues. This fuel subsidy, whether it stays or goes, is going to have a serious impact on the economy.”
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