Vice-President Kashim Shettima has revealed that President Bola Tinubu faced intense pressure from oil sector cabals after removing petrol subsidies but refused to budge.
Gatekeepers News reports that Shettima made this known during a meeting with the newly elected executives of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA) at the Presidential Villa.
According to Shettima, the decision to cancel the subsidy was long overdue, describing it as a burden previous governments couldn’t confront.
“The oil cabal is richer than the Nigerian nation; they fought back, but he [President Tinubu] refused to budge,” Shettima said, adding that Tinubu stood his ground because it was in the best interest of Nigerians.
The Vice-President reaffirmed the administration’s pro-business stance, emphasizing the private sector’s critical role in achieving national development.
“This is how great nations build; this is how Korea became what it is,” he said.
NACCIMA President Jani Ibrahim, who became president a month ago, commended Shettima’s leadership of key national economic institutions.
He called for regular consultations between the organised private sector and the Vice-President’s office, including bi-annual sessions, and advocated for private sector representation on key government technical and policy councils.
