Subsidy Removal: Why Palliatives Are Not Enough To Address Poverty – Shehu Sani

Subsidy Removal: Why Palliatives Are Not Enough To Address Poverty – Shehu Sani

Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has criticized the Federal Government’s planned palliatives to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians.

Following President Bola Tinubu’s announcement to halt subsidy payments on petrol, the fuel price surged from below N200 per liter to around N500 at NNPC outlets and many stations across the country.

The situation worsened when the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) adjusted the petrol price to N617.

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In response to the rising concerns, Tinubu pledged to provide a monthly transfer of N8,000 to 12 million of the poorest households for six months to ease the effects of the subsidy removal.

However, Senator Shehu Sani, speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, criticized the palliatives, stating that they are insufficient to address the widespread poverty in the country.

He expressed concerns about the limited scope of beneficiaries and the sustainability of the program.

Sani suggested that the government should implement both short-term and long-term measures to address poverty effectively.

He advocated for increasing workers’ salaries, supporting farmers in food production, and focusing on the agricultural sector as long-term solutions.

Regarding the government’s plan to retrieve a loan from the World Bank and distribute it among Nigerians, Sani warned that such an approach would be detrimental.

Meanwhile, the National Executive Council (NEC) has agreed on palliative measures for Nigerians, including integrity tests on state social registers, and cash transfers would be done via state social registers, considering state peculiarities.