A LAGOS based consultant on youth empowerment, Mr. Olalekan Azeez Iginla, says already, the international oil price is going down. “We must be in tune with that. We must be scientific in our thinking. What the government needs to do is to use the money they are going to gain from subsidy removal to create jobs, channel it to wealth creation and youth empowerment,” he opined.

He added that removal of fuel subsidy is a welcome idea and the youths will benefit from it provided that a forum is initiated to discuss how the money could be well channeled. “Remember that the government is trying to build their integrity and they will not like to do something that will jeopardize their integrity,” he said.

On her part, a filmmaker, Doris Simon, said: “So what is the subsidy all about? When you want to remove the subsidy of something, you have to make it available. But it is not available. And it is even scarce and it is expensive. I just believe that the government should use the money to provide jobs for the masses. Every year fuel scarcity has become our Christmas gift in this country.

“They should use the money well. Create job for the youths. Try to make sure that we have electricity. Any government that tackles the electricity issue in Nigeria will never be forgotten.”

The National Vice President, National Association of Proprietors of Private Schools, (NAPPS), Chief Yomi Otubela, said the current administration has promised a whole lot of things and the message is for Nigerians to be patient with the administration “to also ensure that we give it the opportunity to implement its projects. We are going to be facing a lot of challenges this year. I urge every Nigerian to prepare for the challenges that we shall face economically and socially. There will be light at the end of the tunnel.”

He said that the strategy to cope is for everybody to inculcate the principle of self- discipline. “The era of parties, throwing jamborees at every opportunity should be reduced to the barest minimum. We should also ensure that we don’t allow unnecessary crave for materialism to occupy our minds. It should be an opportunity for all of us to change and key into the new administration so that at the end of the day, we will all be better for it and have the Nigeria of our dream.”

Otubela added that with the new pricing of crude oil in the international market, there may not be any need for subsidy any longer. “We are aware that the International Monetary Fund (IMF) just declared that in the coming years, the price of oil might come down to $20 per barrel. This means that the price of crude oil will be drastically reduced. This will call for reduction in fuel pump price.

“I think President Muhammadu Buhari is going to channel the money towards other areas of need.”

The money, he said, can be redirected and be reinvested in other areas. “What we are losing in terms of subsidy on fuel we would gain on other capital projects that the money would be directed to.

“An amount of money is being budgeted for subsidy every year. The money is given to marketers. Any time the money does not get to the marketers on time, they embark on strike. That means at some point, they received money, at the other point, there is delay in payment. So there has been subsidy and of course, it is still in existence and it has not been removed.”