Subsidy must go – Finance Commissioners, NECA

Removal ‘ll impoverish Nigerians; it’s corruption that should go— NLC

Commissioners for Finance from the 36 states of the federation rose from their monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee, FAAC, meeting in Abuja, yesterday, insisting that petroleum products subsidy must be removed.
While their position was consistent with that of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, it sharply contradicted the thinking of the Nigerian Senate, which held a few days ago that petroleum subsidy should remain.
The commissioners had, three months ago, decided that the current subsidy was not in the interest of the nation and wrote a letter to President Goodluck Jonathan, demanding an end to it.
The Chairman, Forum of Commissioners of Finance, Mr. Timothy Odaah, told journalists shortly after the meeting that there was no going back on their position and that they had fully briefed their principals— state governors.

Lagos fuel subsidy protests sponsored –Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday  resuscitated the controversy, which followed  the fuel subsidy removal in January.

Jonathan alleged that  the Occupy Nigeria anti-fuel subsidy removal mass protest, organised by civil society groups in Lagos in the wake of the removal of fuel subsidy in January, was manipulated by an unnamed class of people.

 He said the protest was not a true reflection of the position of the masses but that of those who sponsored them.

But civil rights groups and an opposition party took a swipe at the President, saying he had alienated himself from the people.

At the 52nd Independence anniversary lecture on Tuesday, Jonathan  also recanted his earlier position describing himself as the most criticised president in the World.