The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has opposed the plan by President Bola Tinubu to enforce his predecessor’s decision to remove fuel subsidy by June end.
Tinubu in his inaugural address to the nation said that his administration would discontinue to payment of subsidy on petroleum products
IPMAN National Public Relations Officer, Mr Ukadike Chinedu, said they opposed the new president’s subsidy removal plan.
“We are not in support of the removal of fuel subsidy at this time. We have said it repeatedly that our refineries should be fixed before taking such a decision that will cause galloping inflation and inflict more hardship on the masses.
“The government of President Tinubu should not adopt what is in the transition document handed over to it by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Someone (Buhari) who for eight years did not remove subsidy is advising a new government to remove it.
“That is not fair and should not be adopted. Rather the new government should sit and discuss with marketers and other stakeholders on how to manage the fuel subsidy regime. We now have the Dangote Refinery, but all our refineries are still not working, so we don’t think removing subsidy is the right thing to do now,” Mr Ukadike stated.
He also added that IPMAN was ready to dialogue with the new government and would proffer measures to address the fuel subsidy regime, instead of effecting an outright halt in subsidy.
