Fakoyejo Olalekan
The Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) has thrown its weight behind the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu.
According to the Chairman of the governors’ forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Governor of Kwara State, the group will work with Tinubu to cushion the impact of the removal on citizens.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelAbdulRazaq said the governors are in support of Tinubu’s decision to stop subsidising fuel, adding, “The NGF will follow the tradition of working constitutionally and harmoniously with you,” he told the President.
Both the governors and President Tinubu met on Wednesday at the Presidential Villa over the removal of fuel subsidy and the impact on their residents.
Recall that Tinubu declared on 29 May, during his inauguration speech, that his administration has accepted the recommendation of the previous government led by Muhammadu Buhari to remove subsidy from fuel and allow oil marketers to sell at market reflective prices.
The governors assured Tinubu they would proffer solutions through the National Economic Council (NEC), while Tinubu urged them to do away with party politics to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians.
Speaking to the NGF, Tinubu said: “We can see the effects of poverty on the faces of our people. Poverty is not hereditary, it is from society.
“Our position is to eliminate poverty. Set aside partisan politics, we are here to deliberate about Nigeria and nation-building.
“We are a family occupying one house and sleeping in different rooms. If we see it that way and push forward, we will get our people out of poverty. A determined mind is a fertile ground for delivering on results.
“Present in this room is our diversity in culture and politics, but we are one nation. The unity and stability of the country rest upon us.
“We are in a democracy, and we have to nurture the democracy. It is a hard-earned system and not easy to manage. If anyone thinks it is easy, look at other nations who are over a hundred years in democracy.”
