A civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association Of Nigeria (HURIWA), has described as “medicine after death,” the promised palliatives by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to remedy the uncontrollable hardship created by his arbitrary removal of petrol subsidy.

The group also faulted the President for hurriedly inflicting pains on the over 130 million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerian households, rather than arrest and prosecute government officials who fleeced Nigerians in the guise of payments of fuel subsidy.

HURIWA said it was so unfortunate that without any kind of comprehensive thought processes, consultations and advanced implementation of effective remedial measures and palliatives to cushion the unbearable pains and pangs of the sudden withdrawal of petrol subsidy, President Tinubu proceeded to make a pronouncement that unleashed hazardous economic crisis on a massive scale.

The rights group carpeted the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPCL) for violating the basic principles of deregulation of the petroleum sector by pegging the purchasing price at highly exorbitant rate, rather than let market forces of demand and supply to determine the best pump price for petroleum products.

President Tinubu had, on Wednesday, said that he understood the suffering the people were going through as a result of the removal of petrol subsidy and affirmed that his government would soon remedy it, but HURIWA said the statement was tantamount to subjecting citizens to horrendous pains and after they have almost lost consciousness, you then start applying soothing balms which will ultimately would not help the situation.

The group stated that the request to the National Assembly to approve N500 billion as palliatives in a letter to the two chambers as made by President Tinubu was too little and obviously late in coming.

According to HURIWA, “it is a drop in the ocean if the federal government has plans to provide palliatives to just 12 million households in Nigeria when, statistically, Nigeria has about 130 million multi-dimensionally poor households. The group stated that, at least, one million Nigerians have died from starvation and economic deprivation foisted by the sudden withdrawal of petrol subsidy as pronounced by President Tinubu on May 29, 2023, barely 15 minutes after he was administered oath of office by the Chief Justice of Nigeria, to take over from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, whose regime is ranked as the most corrupt government in Nigeria since 1960.

HURIWA recalled that the President also emphasized that electricity supply will receive a huge boost, assuring that his policies are geared towards revamping the economy in the interest of all Nigerians.

He spoke at Aso Villa In Abuja during a meeting with the class of 1999 Governors, of which he is a member.

Tinubu said: “I understand that our people are suffering; yet, there can be no childbirth without pain. The joy of childbirth is the relief that comes after the pain.

“Nigeria is reborn already with fuel subsidy removal. It is a rebirth of the country for the largest number over a few smugglers. Please, tell the people to be a little patient.

“Nigeria is reborn already with fuel subsidy removal. It is a rebirth of the country for the largest number over a few smugglers. Please, tell the people to be a little patient.”

HURIWA, however, dismissed the so-called palliatives as grossly insufficient and, in fact, it said there was no foolproof assurance that the N500 billion wouldn’t be diverted by government officials when it was meant as palliatives for the 12 million absolutely poor Nigerians out of the statistically recognised 130 million absolutely poor households.

The group further accused the All Progressives Congress past government of becoming notorious for siphoning billions of dollars the Muhammadu Buhari government claimed it was deploying to feed school children and attend to other humanitarian disasters in Nigeria. “We suspect that these palliatives may be stolen by government officials since the current federal administration has, on many occasions, told Nigerians that it would continue from where the infamous administration of former President Buhari stopped which could be interpreted that there could be carryover of all the sophisticated corrupt practices the last government is notorious for, including diversion of palliatives meant for poor citizens”

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