FORMER Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon has advised the Federal Government to be careful in its plan to remove fuel subsidy, saying that they should plan the removal to be painless to the citizens.
Gowon urged the Government to ensure that all the nation’s refineries are functioning at full capacity before they carry on with the policy so that the people would not suffer much.
The former Head of State who spoke in Umuahia yesterday noted that it is the right of any government to take any action to solve problems facing it. The present government, he said, therefore has the right to take any action it deems good to solve problems facing it but maintained that such actions should have a human face so that the people would not suffer much.
Gowan was in Umuahia on behalf of the Carter Centre to solicit the assistance of Abia state Government in the in the centre’s fight against malaria and filariasis, also paid tributes to late Dim Emeka Ojukwu, saying that his death was not only a big loss to Ndigbo but the country as a whole.
Any government has the right to see they do to solve any problem. The government has looked and saw the need for the removal of oil subsidy and direct money used for subsidy into other areas. The only advise is that I wish that we can have all our refineries in full production, and being able to produce petroleum and stop importation of fuel from outside”, Gowon said.
According to him, there is no doubt that removal of subsidy would cause hardship to the ordinary Nigeria, but his prayers are that the government provides adequate palliative to ameliorate the hardship.
Gowon said removal of subsidy would cause inflation, as transportation would rise which would in turn increase the price of food.
“If you remove subsidy, there will be increase in prices. The increase will cause inflation, in transport, food prices will increase, there will be problem.
“I hope that the government will give consideration to that. I hope that the subsidy will be removed painlessly”, the former Head of State said.
On his mission to the state, Gowan explained that he came to ask the assistance of the government to help in distribution of mosquito nets in the effort of the Carter Centre to fight malaria and filarisis.
He disclosed that the centre has successfully fought guinea worm in the country, saying that for three years, there was no report of guinea worm in any part of the country.
Gowon urged the Government to ensure that all the nation’s refineries are functioning at full capacity before they carry on with the policy so that the people would not suffer much.
The former Head of State who spoke in Umuahia yesterday noted that it is the right of any government to take any action to solve problems facing it. The present government, he said, therefore has the right to take any action it deems good to solve problems facing it but maintained that such actions should have a human face so that the people would not suffer much.
Gowan was in Umuahia on behalf of the Carter Centre to solicit the assistance of Abia state Government in the in the centre’s fight against malaria and filariasis, also paid tributes to late Dim Emeka Ojukwu, saying that his death was not only a big loss to Ndigbo but the country as a whole.
Any government has the right to see they do to solve any problem. The government has looked and saw the need for the removal of oil subsidy and direct money used for subsidy into other areas. The only advise is that I wish that we can have all our refineries in full production, and being able to produce petroleum and stop importation of fuel from outside”, Gowon said.
According to him, there is no doubt that removal of subsidy would cause hardship to the ordinary Nigeria, but his prayers are that the government provides adequate palliative to ameliorate the hardship.
Gowon said removal of subsidy would cause inflation, as transportation would rise which would in turn increase the price of food.
“If you remove subsidy, there will be increase in prices. The increase will cause inflation, in transport, food prices will increase, there will be problem.
“I hope that the government will give consideration to that. I hope that the subsidy will be removed painlessly”, the former Head of State said.
On his mission to the state, Gowan explained that he came to ask the assistance of the government to help in distribution of mosquito nets in the effort of the Carter Centre to fight malaria and filarisis.
He disclosed that the centre has successfully fought guinea worm in the country, saying that for three years, there was no report of guinea worm in any part of the country.
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