By Moses Patience Chat
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has faulted the decision of Nigeria’s new President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on his decision to end government subsidy on premium motor spirit (PMS) in the country.
The Association further asked the President to engage oil marketers in a discussion before going ahead to remove fuel subsidy.
This follows Tinubu’s announcement to end fuel subsidy by the end of June this year.
Tinubu, during his inaugural address at Eagle Square yesterday in Abuja, said that fuel subsidy has been removed and that the country’s budget for the month of June does not include fuel subsidy.
However, in a statement issued on the same day by the National Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, the Association said that the new government should have a dialogue with marketers before taking the decision to remove subsidy.
His words: “We are not in support of the removal of fuel subsidy at this time. We have said it repeatedly that our refineries should be fixed before taking such decision that will cause galloping inflation and inflict more hardship on the masses.
“The government of President Tinubu should not adopt what is in the transition document handed over to it by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who for eight years did not remove subsidy is advising a new government to remove it.
“That is not fair and should not be adopted. Rather the new government should sit and discuss with marketers and other stakeholders on how to manage the fuel subsidy regime. We now have the Dangote Refinery, but all our refineries are still not working, so we don’t think removing subsidy is the right thing to do now,” Ukadike stated.
Chinedu added that IPMAN was ready to work with the new government and would help proffer measures to address the fuel subsidy regime.