TheCable

On Monday, Garba Shehu, di forma chief informate of forma President Muhammadu Buhari, claim sey di last govment comot diesel subsidy. 

As im bin dey tok why di Buhari govment no comot di petrol subsidy di time wen dem dey office, Shehu tok sey na becos dem no want any wahala wey for make di All Progressives Congress (APC) no win di 2023 elections.

Im still tok sey dem comot oda subsidies, especially diesel subsidy.

“Di big electricity subsidy. Di fake fertiliser subsidy. Hajj/Christian pilgrim subsidy. Rememba dem? Di fuel subsidy. Di aviation fuel subsidy. LPFO. Kerosene,” na so Shehu tok.

“Cooking gas and di oda subsidy policies wey we bin jam, come arrange dem make deam tanda wella. Rememba dem?

“For those pipu wey dey quick forget, many of those subsidies bin don already dey di time wey President Buhari enta office for 2015: by May 2023, we comot all those subsidies — including di annual fertilizer subsidy wey reach 60-100 billion naira (na trillion naira bi dat in about 10 years — yes, your eye no pain you as you read am) wey dey heavy di federal budget evri year.”

Buhari govment bin comot diesle subsidy as Shehu tok? Na wetin we find be dis.

WETIN WE CHECK

On June 20, 2003, di govment of forma President Olusegun Obasanjo bin increase di prices of petroleum products.

Dem still come cari di price of diesel up from N24 per litre go N38 per litre, na wen fuel price begin dey shake bi dat.

One month no reach Obasanjo inside im second term for office before Nigerians start to dey use mouth finish am ontop di tin wey im do.

Di Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) begin nationwide strike wey di Trade Union Congress (TUC), and oda civil rights groups, support.

Again, one September 2013 report wey Chatham House write, tok sey na durin Obasanjo regime naim dem comot fuel subisidy for Nigeria.

According to di paper, wey dem title ‘Nigeria’ Criminal Crude: International Options to Combat the Export of Stolen Oil,’ illegal refining for Niger Delta bin start in 2009, becos of di diesel subisidy wey dem comot inside di forma Obasanjo govment, and oda tins.

“From plenty reports, di Niger Delta don dey use backyard to refine oil since 2009 or early 2010. Most of di tins wey fit cause am na becos police no too strong again based on sey federal govment bin give di Niger Delta militants amnesty in June 2009, di diesel subsidy wey dem comot di time wey Obasanjo bi preso, and sake of sey pipu don dey find di oil,” na so di report tok.

Anoda report, wey PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) publish in May 2023 tok sey dem comot diesel subsidy in 2003.

Di report tok sey fuel subsidies bin start around di 1970s and e come enta govment in 1977, afta dem sign di price control act, wey no gree make anybody sell any product (including petrol) above di price wey govment set.

“Thirteen years afta dem deregulate diesel, dem comot kerosene subsidy in 2016,” na so di PwC report tok.

To chuk mouth for di mata, Jide Pratt, country manager, Cotevis Energy, explain sey although dem comot kerosene subsidy during di Buhari govment, dem bin comot diesel subsidy since 2003.

“Di govment wey comot am na since 2003. Dem bin dey tink am since 2000. But wetin bin hapun bi sey dem bin dey adjust di prices for di three petroleum products (petrol, diesel and kerosene),” na so im tok.

Howeva, Pratt tok sey di reason why dem increase diesel price — instead of oda petroleum products — na based on sey dem wan comot di fixed price of di product.

“In 2003, dem agree sey weda we like am not, pipu go pay di full price for diesel,” na so Pratt tok.

“In 2000, dem bin no fit run am because dem bin dey import plenti farm producte wit diesel trucks. Di point that time bi sey if dem comot am, all di price of goods and services, inflation, go just automatically rise. In 2003, dem come comot am.”

FINAL TOK

Di claim wey tok sey na Buhari govment no comot diesel subsidy no correct. Dem comot am in 2003 during Obasanjo time.