Subsidy Removal: implement palliative to alleviate hardship, Osun, Ekiti Residents urge FG

Residents in Osun and Ekiti states have appealed to the Federal government to provide special funds to states to assist in ameliorating the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on the economy.

The Federal government had at the twilight of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration announced that the country could not continue to sustain subsidy on fuel importation.

Subsequently, at the inauguration of President Bola Tinubu’s government on May 29, he announced the removal of fuel subsidy while the official pump price of fuel increased from N185 to N500 per litre and barely two months later increased to N617 per litre.

The increase in pump price of fuel and its attendant effect led to rise in cost of transportation, foodstuffs and other services thus affecting every sphere of the nations life, on account of which some state governments directed that civil servants should report to work only  three days in a week.

A survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria  (NAN) in the three state shows that many Nigerians have abandoned the use of their vehicles as a result of the exorbitant cost of petrol preferring to commute to their destinations.

Respondents to the survey appealed for  speedy implementation of government palliatives including provision of commercial buses by to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy.

Malam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesman of Gov. Ademola Adeleke, said that the state government would soon unveil palliatives to cushion the effect of the recent subsidy removal.

Rasheed said that  the planned intervention would  include support to public transport owners, monitoring of fuel stations and review of public sector work time.

He said top officials were finalising the state palliative plan in line with the directives of Adeleke.

“The  governor’s plan is to be sustainable, impactful and result oriented.

“Mr Governor is set to announce the state plan to cushion the effect of the hike in fuel price. Our Governor is pro-people and pro-worker.

“He wants an all encompassing intervention in which all strata of the society will benefit,” he said.

Rasheed also stressed that the governor was working tirelessly to make life bearable for the people of the state.

He also explained that the meagre resources available in Osun were being used to provide social amenities across the state.

In Ekiti, a member of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs),  Mr Gbenga Ilori, urged the government to strive to revive its moribund transport company,  “Ekiti Kete Transport Company”.

This is just as he also called on the Federal government to evolve a system or programme to help states in this direction in order to cushion the effect of the removal of fuel subsidy on Nigerians.

He described the hardship the removal had caused the masses as unprecedented, saying something drastic needs to be done to alleviate it.

According to him, many residents, especially workers are currently finding things difficult as they now spend more money on transportation to their work places than what they earn while many others have resorted to trekking long distances.

Also,  an engineer with the state Ministry of works, Mr Fatai Alaba, suggested adoption of alternatives to fuel powered vehicles for Nigerians.

” Federal government can import or make gas powered vehicles for Nigerians, to cushion the effects of hardship on the people ” he said.