Sir: The petrol subsidy announcement on May 29, 2023 at the inaugural ceremony of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu (BAT) as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, made an instant impact albeit negative on the lives of Nigerians.

The effect has been excruciating and the impact drastic. Since then many have been stuck in the locations where they found themselves at the time of the announcement and unable to return to their base. The price of petrol has increased by over 300 per cent and has affected all aspects of the economy such as transportation, food, healthcare, etc. The citizens that just recovered from the pains of naira scarcity have had to face another self-inflicted problem of the high cost of living.

Everyone seems to have aligned that the time is ripe for subsidy removal judging from the narrative that it favours only the elite. The mention of the elite seems to resonate well with the masses who have continued to live in abject poverty. And the politicians have latched on to this narrative. Recall, however, that the struggle against subsidy removal in 2012, which was fierce and collective, relied on the timing and level of preparedness as their justification. The promoters (the majority are in this new government) argued that before the petrol subsidy can be removed, the government needs to tackle corruption and build basic infrastructure that will ameliorate the impact of its removal.

For example, now that the price of petrol has gone up and it will take about N20,000 to N30,000 to fill the tank of an average car, or where transportation cost has moved from N200 to N600 per drop making it about N20,000 in a month to move from home to work in a country where the minimum wage is N30,000, there should have been an alternative transportation system to support the citizens. In Nigeria where power availability is near zero and individuals, households and companies have to depend on self-powered generation through the use of petrol or diesel generators, the impact will be damming and capable of making businesses close shops, including reducing the quality of life of households.

Those who initially opposed subsidy removal had recommended investment in mass transit, rail, alternative/renewable energy, and holding corrupt officials culpable. Until the government consciously put in place the long-mentioned alternatives of mass transit, alternative energy, revamping or building new refineries, the issue of subsidy removal will continue to be a scam.
Adolphus Aletor.