Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi has disclosed how he would have handled the issue of fuel subsidy removal if he had emerged Nigeria’s President in 2023.
Amaechi said he would have handled the removal of fuel subsidy differently as President.
The former minister said he would removed fuel subsidy with social housing and job creation as cushioning measures.
Amaechi had contested for the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential ticket in 2022 but lost to President Bola Tinubu.
On May 29, 2023, Tinubu announced an end to fuel subsidy during his presidential inauguration in Abuja.
However, speaking in Abuja, Amaechi maintained that removing fuel subsidy was unavoidable for any President.
The former Rivers State governor, however, faulted the timing and preparedness of Tinubu’s government in removing the subsidy.
According to Amaechi: “There is nobody that would have become president that would not have removed the subsidy. What I don’t know is what time was appropriate for the removal. How prepared was the Tinubu government when he announced the removal?
“My wife and children asked me what I would have done differently. My response was this: I would remove the subsidy, but I would not remove it without social housing.
“Why? With the money saved from subsidy removal and Naira devaluation, it could be used to build between 200,000 and 300,000 houses.
“If you build between 200,000 and 300,000 houses in the states, how many jobs have you created? At least 300,000 bricklayers, 300,000 carpenters, and 300,000 plumbers. By the time you do those things, what have you done? You have put money in the hands of the people.”
