Senate President Ahmad Lawan says President Muhammadu Buhari did not direct any of the officials in his administration to implement the removal of petroleum subsidy.
Last October, Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed, had announced that the Federal Government made provision for petrol subsidy only for the first six months of 2022 as it planned complete deregulation of the sector.
According to her, “In our 2022 budget, we only factored in subsidy for the first half of the year; the second half of the year, we are looking at complete deregulation of the sector, saving foreign exchange and potentially earning more from the oil and gas industry.”
However, while speaking with reporters after a meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, the Senate President said he told Buhari about the feelings and concerns of his constituents on critical issues, including the proposed subsidy removal.
Lawan said he raised the issue with the President because lawmakers were worried about the agitations and protests that the country would witness over plans to end petrol subsidy.
The Senate President, who said the subsidy could not be transferred to citizens, expressed doubt over the reported consumption of 100 million litres of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) per day in the country.
He said he was glad to inform Nigerians that Buhari had not told anyone to remove petroleum subsidy.
Lawan said, “Well, it will be of interest to Nigerians to hear what I have come to discuss with Mr President among several other things.
“Many of us are very concerned with the recent agitations, protests and many citizens were so concerned, our constituents across the country are very concerned that the federal government will remove the petroleum subsidy. And for us, as parliamentarians, as legislators representing the people of Nigeria, this must be of interest to us.
“And we have just finished our recess; we had gone home to our constituencies and senatorial districts. And we felt the pulse of our people.
“And I found it necessary to visit Mr President, as the leader of our government and our leader in the country, to discuss this particular issue of concern to Nigerians, and I am happy to inform Nigerians that Mr President never told anyone that the petroleum subsidy should be removed.”
Lawan further said, “I know and I agree that the subsidy is very heavy. But I think we must never transfer the burden to the citizens.
“I believe that we need to look at the quoted figure of maybe 100 million litres that people claim we are consuming. Is it real? I mean is it either under-recoveries of subsidy? Is it really 100 million litres per day? How on earth are we consuming that?
“We need to look at this critically and see how we can find the truth. Because I am not convinced that within the boundaries of Nigeria we are consuming 100 million litres, probably neighbouring countries may be benefiting from this. Can’t we do something about it?
“It is a failure on us if we are not able to control it, this particular aspect of smuggling of the petrol and then in return, push the burden to the ordinary citizen.”
Dismissing the position of the Peoples Democratic Party governors on subsidy removal, Lawan said the main opposition party ought to have taken action on the matter when it was in government.
But the Senate President stressed the need for stakeholders to come together to find a solution to the issue of subsidy.