The Nigeria’s Presidency has reacted to alleged plan by the federal government to spend N5.4 trillion on fuel subsidy payments.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election, Abubakar Atiku, had on Wednesday challenged President Tinubu to stop what he claims is a deceit of Nigerians about his administration’s true position on petrol subsidy.
He said contrary to Tinubu’s public posturing about petrol subsidy removal, the administration had been secretly paying trillions of naira for petrol subsidy.
According to him, subsidy payment under Tinubu’s watch is likely to hit N5.4trn this year.
However, a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Thursday, reiterated that the era of fuel subsidy had gone for good.
The presidency disclosed that the two fiscal policy documents in circulation have not been approved by the federal government.
According to the Onanuga, the documents are still policy proposals subject to reviews at the highest level of government.
READ FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
STATE HOUSE PRESS STATEMENT
LEAKED DOCUMENTS ON FISCAL POLICY PROPOSALS NOT OFFICIAL
The attention of the Presidency has been drawn to two fiscal policy documents in circulation that are being given wide coverage by the mainstream media and social media platforms.
One of the documents titled Inflation Reduction and Price Stability (Fiscal Policy Measure etc) Order 2024 is being shared as if it were an executive order signed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The other is a 65-page draft document with the title “Accelerated Stabilisation and Advancement Plan (ASAP), which contains suggestions on how to improve the Nigerian economy. President Tinubu received a copy of the draft on Tuesday.
We urge the public and the media to disregard the two documents and cease further discussions on them. None is an approved official document of the Federal Government of Nigeria. They are all policy proposals that are still subject to reviews at the highest level of government. Indeed, one has ‘draft’ clearly written on it.
According to the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, “It is important to understand that policymaking is an iterative process involving multiple drafts and discussions before any document is finalised.
“We assure the public that the official position on the documents will be made available after comprehensive reviews and approvals are completed.”
Emanating from the two documents have been reports second-guessing government’s policy on customs tariffs, fuel subsidy and other economic matters.
“The government wants to restate that its position on fuel subsidy has not changed from what President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared on 29 May 2023. The fuel subsidy regime has ended. There is no N5.4 trillion being provisioned for it in 2024, as being widely speculated and discussed,” Edun stated.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy further clarified: “As previously stated by government officials, including myself, President Tinubu announced the end of the fuel subsidy program last year, and this policy remains firmly in place.
“The Federal Government is committed to mitigating the effects of this removal and easing the cost of living pressures on Nigerians.
“Our strategy focuses on addressing key factors such as food inflation, which is significantly impacted by transport costs. With the implementation of our CNG initiative, which aims to displace high PMS and AGO costs, we expect to further reduce these costs.
“Our commitment to ending unproductive subsidies is steadfast, as is our dedication to supporting our most vulnerable populations”.
We call on the media to always exercise necessary checks and restraints in the use of documents that do not emanate from official channels so that the members of the public are properly informed, guided and educated on government policies and programmes.
Bayo Onanuga
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy
June 6, 2024
