A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Niger State and former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, has thrown his weight behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of the Federal Government’s fuel subsidy removal, urging President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to reconsider the policy in the interest of Nigerians.
Vatsa, who spoke in a statement issued in Minna on Sunday, argued that the removal of the petrol subsidy had intensified economic hardship without delivering corresponding benefits to ordinary citizens.
The former Niger State APC publicity secretary said the government should look beyond the political differences between Tinubu and Atiku and give serious consideration to the issues raised by the former vice president.
According to Vatsa, the sharp increase in the cost of living following the subsidy removal has placed enormous pressure on low-income households, workers and other vulnerable Nigerians, while the benefits of increased government revenue have yet to translate into significant improvements in living standards.
He maintained that the central problem with Nigeria’s fuel subsidy regime was not necessarily the idea of government intervention in the energy sector, but the corruption, inefficiency and alleged leakages that had characterised its implementation.
Vatsa therefore urged the Federal Government to strengthen transparency and accountability in the management of petroleum-related revenues rather than relying solely on subsidy removal as an economic reform measure.
He also questioned whether increased allocations to state governments had produced sufficient improvements in infrastructure and public services.
According to him, the continued presence of abandoned projects, inadequate roads, schools and healthcare facilities raises concerns about the effective utilisation of public resources.
The APC chieftain further criticised what he described as excessive spending by some public officials at a time when many Nigerians are struggling with rising food, transportation, housing and energy costs.
He argued that government reforms should ultimately be measured by their impact on citizens and not simply by increases in government revenue or allocations.
Vatsa also pointed to the interventionist measures adopted by several countries to cushion citizens from the economic consequences of global energy shocks, particularly following the Russia-Ukraine war.
He contended that Nigeria could explore targeted and transparent interventions to reduce the impact of fuel prices on vulnerable households without returning to a system vulnerable to abuse.
He urged President Tinubu to review the current approach to fuel pricing and consider measures capable of easing the burden on Nigerians while addressing corruption and inefficiencies within the petroleum sector.
Vatsa’s position places him among members of the ruling APC who have publicly expressed reservations about aspects of the administration’s economic policies, particularly the impact of petrol price increases on ordinary Nigerians.
He called on the President to prioritise policies that would restore purchasing power, strengthen social protection and improve living conditions, arguing that economic reforms would have limited value if their immediate effect was to deepen hardship among the majority of citizens.
