Yakubu Dogara Defends President Tinubu, Clarifies He Is Not Responsible for Fuel Subsidy Removal Policy
In a recent interview, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, clarified that President Bola Tinubu should not be blamed for the removal of the petroleum subsidy in Nigeria. According to Dogara, the president merely announced the removal when he famously declared “subsidy is gone” during his inauguration speech on May 29, 2023, but did not actually initiate the policy.
Dogara explained that the policy had already been set in motion before Tinubu took office, as no allocation for subsidy payments was included in the 2023 budget, which was passed by the National Assembly under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.
During an appearance on Channels TV on Friday, September 27, 2024, Dogara dismissed claims that Tinubu halted subsidy payments. “In this case, there was no provision for it, and anybody who told you he (Tinubu) suspended it was just joking because how did he suspend payment that was not budgeted for in the first instance?” he stated.
The former Speaker emphasized that no amendments were made to accommodate subsidy payments in the budget, reinforcing his stance that Tinubu was not the one responsible for its removal. However, Dogara acknowledged that Tinubu made the announcement.
Beyond the subsidy issue, Dogara criticized how Nigerians, particularly the elites, discuss the country’s challenges. He expressed concern that while many focus on the problems, few offer solutions. “The problem with this country is that people always want to talk about her problems… But nobody is talking about solutions, even among the elites,” he remarked.
Dogara encouraged Nigerians to accept the removal of the fuel subsidy, highlighting that President Tinubu had no power to reverse the situation due to the absence of budgetary provisions made by the previous administration.
