Presidency Defends Decision To Increase Fuel Pump Price, Electricity Tariff

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The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu defended President, Muhammadu Buhari, recent decisions that led to hike in fuel price and electricity tariff among others.

It has been a week of turmoil and controversies for Nigerians who without holding back opposed the move by the President to increase the price of fuel and electricity tariff.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, stated these in a statement titled “History will be kinder to President Buhari than his critics are prepared to be.”

Shehu was reacting to criticisms that trailed recent hike in fuel price and electricity tariff.

He described the reforms that led to the hike in prices as “necessary and overdue.”

The presidential aide claimed that the Buhari regime has worked hard to meet many expectations within its five years but that there are still “certain tough decisions” that must be taken to reposition the country.

The statement read, “The All Progressives Congress came to power in 2015 defeating an incumbent administration amidst very high expectations from President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Five years on, the administration has worked hard to meet many expectations, but still, there are certain tough decisions which had to be taken to put back the country on the path of sustainable development.

“To stop the mismanagement of taxpayer money, eliminate corruption associated with subsidies on petroleum products, power, fertilizer among others, the administration took the decision to implement long-delayed reforms, withdraw and allow the market to determine their prices.

“Subsidy removal in these sectors had long been foreseen by successive administrations as game changers in search of solutions to move forward with the nation’s development. These are reforms that are necessary and overdue. Blueprint upon blueprint, timeline upon timeline had come and gone but courage to take bold decisions was not there.”

Shehu recalled that in the last few days, there have been claims within the online community, sections of the labour movement and the opposition that the regime’s actions are ill-timed and ill-advised.

“History will be kind to President Buhari because in addition to his amazing ability to command votes, he will be remembered as the President who made real contributions to economic and overall national development by eliminating the evils of corruption embedded in subsidies.

“In any democracy, the most important certificate in governance is acceptance by the people and, with the support of ordinary Nigerians, President Buhari has shown a rare determination to carry out the bold initiatives as these ones driven by nothing other than the greatest good for the greatest number of people.