The Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has pledged its support for the removal of fuel subsidies by the Federal Government in Abuja.
WITHIN NIGERIA earlier reported that the markerters were meeting with President Bola Tinubu.
Following the meeting, Dame Winifred Akpani, the association’s chairperson, stated that the marketers would support palliative measures by providing between 50 and 100 mass transit buses.
The buses, according to Akpani, will be manufactured locally and run on compressed natural gas.
She said;
We pledge our support for President Tinubu in the bold decision of removing petrol subsidy. It is an idea that was long overdue.
Removal of subsidy is not about making fuel costly and taking it out of the reach of Nigerians. It is about getting it right on the real issue of petroleum product subsidy.
Who are those enjoying the subsidy? The subsidy ends up being enjoyed by those it was not meant for.
We also spoke to the president about substitutes to petrol as well as creating an environment conducive for investments to thrive in the oil sector.’
Also speaking, the Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun who led the DAPPMAN delegation stated that the subsidy removal was an indication that the president is ready to address the challenges of the oil and gas sector.
Subsidy has become a N4 trillion per annum issue and its removal will release more funds for economic development.
Subsidy removal will unleash the potential of Nigeria because it will open up a lot of resources for the development of other sectors of the economy.
The National Economic Council will soon begin sitting to propose interventions on the subsidy removal.
The interventions will definitely be a long-lasting solution to the effect of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians, Abiodun said.