The Petroleum Product Retail Outlet Owners Association of Nigeria says the current administration lacks the willpower to remove fuel subsidy.
PETROAN which supports the removal of fuel subsidy, said it believes the removal will address the issue of fuel scarcity in the country.
Rivers State Chairman of PETROAN, Francis Dimkpa in an interview with DAILY POST, said the refineries may not become functional until fuel subsidy is removed.
He alleged some persons are largely benefiting from the fuel subsidy.
“The removal of fuel subsidy is going to solve the perennial problem of fuel scarcity in this country. We’re still saying that the subsidy has to be removed.
“The paparazzi by the Federal Government in the removal of subsidy is in their own interest. You say you will remove the subsidy and 24 hours after, you say what you are doing is expanding the committee for the removal of the subsidy. We don’t understand.
“All we know is that the present government does not have the willpower to remove subsidies and the incoming government is part of the current government. In fact, we don’t know where we are heading to.
“It is true that Labour is saying that before the removal of subsidy, the refineries have to be working. And I told us last year that if we have to wait for the refineries to work, the subsidy may not be removed, because there are people in this country that are feeding fat on this subsidy regime.
“So, the best thing you can do is to stop them from feeding on the subsidy and they will have no option other than to fix them. It will take us a hard time of maybe one or two months and everything will normalize, PMS will normalize,” he said.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians are against the removal of fuel subsidy.
A cross-section of residents who spoke with DAILY POST anonymously said the money currently expended on subsidy may be embezzled but Nigerians can feel a little impact of the subsidy.
They expressed concern over what politicians will do with the money that was used for subsidy.
One respondent said, “They should not remove the subsidy, there’s no trust for this government with the removal of subsidy.”
Another said, “It is better they are syphoning money and we are feeling the impact of the subsidy in the price of petrol we buy. Until we have a trustworthy government that is willing to do something right for the people, the subsidy should remain.”
Another resident, “The problem is not to remove it, but even if you remove it, where will you channel that money to? And, if you remove the subsidy, the prices of fuel and other products will become so high.”