The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr Sam Amadi, has criticised the Federal Government over its recent fuel discount proposal, insisting that corruption must be tackled before any discussion of subsidies.
Speaking during an interview on Arise Television on Sunday, Amadi reacted to the government’s proposed 30-day petrol discount at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) filling stations, announced by Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Taiwo Oyedele.
“Tackle corruption first before talking about subsidies. Fiscal buoyancy has not translated into ease for the people,” Amadi said.
He noted that President Bola Tinubu removed the fuel subsidy on the grounds that it was unsustainable and corrupt, while former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has indicated support for restoring it.
Amadi maintained that the previous subsidy regime was riddled with corruption and that simply returning to it without reforms would not solve the underlying problems.
Amadi aligned with the position of Peter Obi, arguing that the priority should be addressing corruption and inefficiency in the sector first, then evaluating the need for any form of subsidy.
“Peter Obi’s approach is to first address corruption and inefficiency, then see how that translates and assess the need for subsidies. I agree with Obi’s approach of making the sectors work better and ensuring efficient pricing first,” he stated.
The remarks come amid mixed public reactions to the temporary discount, with some questioning its timing ahead of the 2027 general elections.