Falana urges govt not to scrap fuel subsidy

Human Right lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has called on the federal government not to remove fuel subsidy as being clamoured for in some quarters, noting that doing so will make poor Nigerians poorer and life and living more difficult.

Instead of removing the subsidy, Falana suggested that the government should embark on building modular refineries across the country to make fuel cheaper and available at all times.

The fiery lawyer made the statement yesterday when he mounted the podium at the June 12, 1993 presidential election anniversary put up by the Political and Legislative Powers Bureau of the Lagos State Governor’s office in collaboration with June 12 Coalition of Democratic Formations, held at De Blue Roof of LTV, Ikeja.

Falana urged President Muhammadu Buhari to go after all those that mismanaged and embezzled Nigeria’s commonwealth and ensure they refund whatever they have taken, noting that there was high level of diversion of state fund across the country.

Highlighting on how to end the fuel crisis and produce cheaper fuel, Falana urged the federal government to borrow a leaf from neighbouring Francophone countries like Chad, Niger and Cameroon saying: “they have been building modular refineries that cost a maximum of $15m.”

Falana took a swipe at some states that are owing workers’ salaries in the southwest and called on Lagos State Governor Akin Ambode to ensure that the state did not stand alone but join hands with other states in the zone to rejuvenate the region.

“Lagos must stand up, join hands with other states in Yorubaland. Eko should not stand alone, it can’t stand alone. It ought to be part of Oodua Investment, Lagos must propel economy of the Southwest,” he said.

Meanwhile, Falana challenged Lagos State Government to ensure that heroes and heroines of June 12 were remembered particularly the ordinary Nigerians that played prominent roles in the struggle whose activities did not get mentioned in the media.

He corrected the general belief that the struggle for the actualisation of June 12, 1993 presidential election result was shouldered by National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), noting that the coalition was formed on May 31, 1994, a year after the election was annulled.

“The struggle has been taken on by Campaign for Democracy (CD) led by Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti. NADECO joined us later in the struggle,” he emphasised.