Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has stirred controversy by asserting that the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government is currently subsidising fuel for Nigerians, contradicting Tinubu’s earlier stance on the issue.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, El-Rufai asserted that the federal government is now footing the bill for fuel subsidy more than ever before.
This statement comes in contrast to President Tinubu’s declaration during his May 29, 2023 inauguration that the country could no longer afford to subsidise fuel, announcing an end to petrol subsidy.
Tinubu’s decision led to a surge in fuel prices and a ripple effect on other products and services, exacerbating the economic challenges plaguing the nation since 2023.
However, El-Rufai’s recent remarks suggest a reversal of this policy.
He said: “The impact has been seen and the packages of support that would reduce the impact have not been so effective in reducing the impact, so the federal government is back now subsidising petrol.”
El-Rufai said many people don’t know that the fuel subsidy is back.
“If they want to know whether we are subsidising or not, they should compare the price of petrol and diesel because petrol should be more expensive than diesel but diesel is priced above a thousand naira while petrol is at N600 per litre.
“So, we are still subsidising Petrol because the government has realised that the way it implemented the fuel subsidy initially required some adjustments,” he said.
