‘Subsidy removal is starvation, not reform’ — Vatsa backs Atiku, urges Tinubu to rethink policy

Niger State APC chieftain Jonathan Vatsa has expressed strong opposition to the Federal Government's decision to remove fuel subsidies, describing it as "starvation" rather than economic reform. Vatsa, a former Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism in the state, criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for not considering Atiku Abubakar's concerns about the policy, which he claims has exacerbated poverty and hardship among ordinary Nigerians.

According to Vatsa, the subsidy removal policy has failed and only benefited state governors, their families, and government appointees, rather than the general population. He argued that the policy has pushed low-income earners below the poverty line, while infrastructure projects remain unfinished and uncompleted. Vatsa urged Tinubu to reconsider the policy and take Atiku's message into account, rather than dismissing the messenger.

Vatsa acknowledged the corruption within Nigeria's subsidy regime but maintained that the government should have addressed this issue instead of removing the subsidies. He also rejected the notion that the removal of fuel subsidies was necessary to enable governments to pay salaries, citing instances where states were still in arrears with pensioners despite increased allocations.

Vatsa urged Tinubu to reverse the policy and apologize for the hardship inflicted on the Nigerian populace, emphasizing that the president should heed Atiku's criticism and abandon the fuel subsidy removal.