Subsidy Removal: Incoming Administration to Continue Palliative Struggle – FG

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has observed that the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu will bear the brunt of providing palliative measures for millions of Nigerians ahead of the discontinuance of petrol subsidy in June 2023.

Ngige disclosed this at the 68th session of the State House Ministerial Briefing organised by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.

Fielding a question on the issue, the minister said, “The subsidy palliatives will be left to the incoming government to implement. We’ll simply hand over to them.

“Of course, we will give recommendations which they are at liberty to either accept or reject.”

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The Federal Government said it had yet to harmonise its efforts with states to provide palliatives to cushion the effect of the gradual removal of petroleum subsidy scheduled for June.

However, it said the concerned committees would soon conclude discussions with key stakeholders as the Buhari regime winds down.

The Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, Clem Agba, who addressed journalists at the time, noted that a committee led by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, and the National Economic Council comprising state governors had been working to resolve the issue for over 12 months now.

Within that period, however, the committee had yet to harmonise its templates, he added.

Abba said, “For over a year plus now, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has been leading a committee working on this and the National Economic Council also has a committee that has also been working on this.”

“So, the stage that we are in now is how to finalise the suggestions that have come out from both the Federal Government and the governors’ side.

“Like you know, it is something that is going to affect the entire nation. They will just have to ensure that everyone is carried along, that is both the federal and sub-national governments”, he added.