Atiku Accuses Tinubu Of Diverting Funds Through Secret Fuel Subsidy
By People’s Voice Nigeria | News
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has accused President Bola Tinubu of diverting public funds through alleged secret fuel subsidy.
Atiku in a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, said that was why the administration refused to reveal how much it spent on subsidy.
The Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) said, “the clandestine subsidy regime was one of the reasons investments in the oil sector had refused to come in.”
According to him, the president claimed that subsidy is gone but noted that Special Adviser on Energy, Olu Verheijen, admitted that government is “intervening from time to time while his Finance Minister, Wale Edun, described subsidy removal as an ‘ongoing process.”
Atiku pointed out that a document authored by the Coordinating Minister of the Economy revealing how much subsidy was being paid was disowned by the very authors of the document.
“Both the World Bank and the IMF have revealed in separate reports that Nigeria is still paying petrol subsidies, but the Tinubu government refuses to come clean. Even a senior member of the APC had revealed that subsidy was being paid.
“For a man who claims to be on a mission to attract foreign direct investment, it is ironic that he cannot see that his policy flip flops and lies are capable of dissuading investors.
“He must come clean on this subsidy issue since he doubles as petroleum minister.
“Tinubu administration should be courageous enough to own their policies and outcome with their full chest and responsible enough to be accountable for their actions to Nigerians,” the former vice president advised.
He stated that the denial lent credence that money meant for the federation account, which ought to be shared to states and local governments, was allegedly being diverted without any form of accountability whatsoever.
“There is a need for the National Assembly to get to the bottom of the matter rather than focusing on frivolous issues,” Atiku demanded, adding that posterity would not be kind to the lawmakers “if they continue to look the other way while daylight robbery is taking place.”
