The Presidency has defended the Federal Government’s removal of fuel subsidy, saying the growing number of infrastructure and development projects in Imo State demonstrates that the policy is yielding tangible benefits.

Tunde Rahman, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Special Duties to President Bola Tinubu, who spoke in his capacity as the Director of Media and Publicity of the Renewed Hope Ambassadors stated this on Wednesday during the group’s media tour of Federal Government projects in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

Rahman said the Federal and the State government projects inspected by the delegation reflected the impact of increased funding available to governments following the subsidy removal and underscored the importance of collaboration between the Federal Government and states.

“From all the projects we have seen so far, we can confirm the beauty and significance of states being in alignment with the centre for the purpose of development,” he said

He cited the Federal Government’s upgrade of the Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education and improvements at the Federal University Teaching Hospital in Owerri as evidence of the administration’s commitment to development.

“We can see that Governor Hope Uzodimma has executed essentially Federal Government projects. He is doing it to support the Federal Government in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Rahman said.

He added that TETFund projects at the institution and large number of students from Imo State and the South-East in general who are benefiting from the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) further demonstrated the administration’s focus on expanding access to education.

Rahman argued that the subsidy removal was a carefully considered policy, saying funds freed from the programme were now being channelled into projects with direct economic and social benefits.

“It also shows that the removal of subsidy is a well-thought-out decision. The governors of the states the Renewed Hope Ambassador Media Tour has visited have confirmed that making funds available has helped them to implement projects. If the full benefits have not come to some states till now, they will come in no distant time,” he said.