The Leader of the Senate, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has explained the challenges faced by President Bola Tinubu in the first 18 months of his administration, particularly in relation to the removal of the fuel subsidy. Bamidele, the Senator representing Ekiti Central in the Senate, said the key beneficiaries of the subsidy, rather than ordinary citizens, were the ones who made governance difficult for the president. The lawmaker stated this in a statement issued by his Directorate of Media and Public Affairs on Monday. He said that the individuals who had access to the subsidy, mostly members of a powerful cabal, were responsible for undermining the administration. Bamidele stressed that the removal of the subsidy was a necessary move in the public interest and that it was in line with an agreement made by the 9th National Assembly. “I am convinced that the president did the right thing by removing the fuel subsidy, for which the 9th National Assembly made provision till May 2023. However, the people who made governance difficult for President Tinubu were those benefiting from fuel subsidies. “It was not common men and women of this country who were benefiting from the fuel subsidy. It was not. It was members of the cabal who had access to the fuel subsidy. They are the ones taking away this privilege all in the name and on behalf of the masses. And the masses did not benefit from it. “I was part of the 9th National Assembly. At that time, we had agreed with the executive arm that the fuel subsidy should be removed because it was no longer in the overriding interest of the country. The Tinubu administration acted based on the policy direction the National Assembly approved before his inauguration on May 29, 2023,” the senate leader noted. Bamidele further clarified that the National Assembly had only allocated funds for the subsidy until May 2023, meaning that the subsidy would have ended shortly after President Tinubu’s inauguration, regardless of his announcement. He argued that retaining the subsidy would have plunged the country into a fiscal crisis, as the funds could not be sustained, and would have led to cuts in crucial transfers to sub-national governments. “In the 2023 budget, the National Assembly only made provision for fuel subsidy till May 2023. Whether President Tinubu was removed at his inauguration or not, there was no longer funding for subsidy because we did not make provision for it beyond May 2023. “He did not say he was going to remove the fuel subsidy. He simply said that the fuel subsidy was gone simply because the National Assembly only made provision for it till May 2023. Even if he did not say it, the fuel subsidy would have gone in two days after his inauguration.” The Senate leader expressed confidence that the 2025 Appropriation Act would address the country’s socio-economic challenges, not just at the national level but also at the state and local levels. He emphasised that although the increased statutory transfers to sub-national governments were often overlooked, they were crucial for driving development across Nigeria. He also pointed out that the Federal Government had shifted its budgetary focus, allocating less to recurrent expenditure and more to capital expenditure. This, he said, represented a major change from past practices and a move towards more sustainable spending. “What is important is to get the focus of the budget at the national level and sub-national levels right. “What is the focus of the 2025 budget being passed? Does it address the welfare of the people? Does it prioritise the critical sector of the economy, including education? What is the scale of attention being paid to health and social welfare? What is the percentage of the budget going to agriculture? “Compared to the previous fiscal years, the federal government is devoting less to recurrent expenditure while more is being devoted to capital expenditure. That is a major shift from what had been in practice since the return to democracy. It means we are spending less on consumables,” he stated. Bamidele also praised President Tinubu’s decision not to retrench public workers despite the economic challenges facing the country. He explained that such a decision would exacerbate the problems the country was already facing, particularly with regard to the security situation, which had disrupted agricultural activities. He expressed optimism that the security situation was improving and that, over time, conditions would get better, allowing displaced persons to return home and farmers to resume their activities. The Senate leader concluded by stating that the steps taken by the government were necessary to stabilise the economy and set the country on a path of recovery, even though challenges remained. He urged the public to focus on the broader picture of national and sub-national development and the long-term benefits of the administration’s policies. The leader added, “Retrenching workers is not an option before this administration because it will cause more problems. Look at our situation. *We are confronted with grave security challenges that nearly erode the gains of the administration, especially in the area of agriculture. This is mainly because people could no longer go to farms. It was quite a bad situation, but we are gradually coming out of it. “While it is not yet Uhuru, the security situation is fast improving across the federation today. Some of the IDPs are gradually relocating to their base. Farmers are too steadily returning to their farms. Altogether, things are improving. I am sure that things will be different very soon.” Punch
