Peter Obi, 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate has said he would have removed petrol subsidy and floated the naira if he was elected president but in a more structured way.
Gatekeepers News reports that Obi made the remake during an interview with Arise Television on Monday.
The former Anambra State Governor acknowledged that the fuel subsidy regime was riddled with “criminality and corruption” and needed to end.
He however criticised the Tinubu administration for what he described as a disorganised and abrupt implementation of these reforms.
Obi questioned the use of the funds saved since the subsidy was removed, noting that Nigerians have yet to see tangible improvements in key development sectors.
He said, “I have consistently maintained that I would have removed the fuel subsidy. If you go to my manifesto, it is there and the steps I would have taken in an organised manner.”
“There is nothing wrong with the removal of fuel subsidy. What is wrong is the haphazard way in which it was announced and implemented.”
“Since we were told that we removed it because we don’t want to borrow and that the funds will allow for investments in critical infrastructure. Billions saved. Where is it? Where is it invested in critical areas of development?”
“Everybody knows critical areas of development – education, health, and pulling people out of poverty. Have any of these three improved? No.”
“There is nothing wrong in floating and devaluing your currency. You do this when you have productivity.”
“In all of this, I would have done the same thing in an organised manner.”
He added that he would have ramped up the country’s production capacity in the agriculture and manufacturing sectors before floating the currency.
