Former presidential aide and Arise Television broadcaster Reuben Abati has criticised the Federal Government’s 30-day petrol discount, arguing that the intervention came too late and left questions about its funding and long-term impact unanswered.
Speaking on Friday, Abati questioned what would happen when the discount expires and urged the government to explain how the initiative would be financed and who would bear its cost.
He also challenged the administration’s continued borrowing following the removal of the petrol subsidy, which the government had partly justified as a way to boost revenue and curb corruption.
“The other issue is that it is temporary, okay, for 30 days. After 30 days, what happens?” Abati asked.
He said the government needed to reconcile its borrowing with the expected financial gains from ending the subsidy.
“But the same administration has been borrowing on a large scale since then, and people have been asking: If you remove the subsidy to generate more revenue, how are we now in this kind of situation?” he said.
Abati called on the government to publish the details of its price modulation plan, including the funding arrangements and the parties responsible for covering the cost.
He argued that the proposal raised more questions than answers and said the administration could have introduced the relief measure earlier.
“There are more questions than answers in what has been proposed. But in terms of intention, I’ve said that the government woke up too late to say that it wants to help the people,” he said.
The Federal Government announced the 30-day petrol discount as a relief measure amid concerns over fuel prices and the rising cost of living.
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