Senator Rufai Hanga, pioneer National Chairman of the defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) in this interview with TEMIDAYO AKINSUYI in Abuja, speaks on why he dumped the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), controversy trailing direct primaries, the planned removal of fuel subsidy and issues surrounding the 2023 general elections. Excerpts:

Are you in support of the plans by the federal government to remove fuel subsidy next year?

This subsidy removal has further confirmed what people say about Buhari and his so-called integrity. I was there when Buhari said there is nothing like subsidy and that anyone talking about any removal of subsidy is lying and fraudulent. He was bragging that he was Petroleum Minister and there is nothing like petrol subsidy. Now, he now believes that there is a subsidy and he wants to remove it. There was a time he said anyone selling petrol more than N50 is criminal. He led us, including me on protests in Abuja against former president Goodluck Jonathan. When Jonathan increased fuel to N87 per litre, he led us in protests. Now he is increasing it to N342 per litre. It is unfortunate.

There is the stupidest and shameful thing they are doing now. I hid my face in shame when I heard about it. They said they are going to remove the subsidy which is about N1.8 trillion. At the same time, they are going to give palliatives to 40 million Nigerians at N2.4 trillion. The fuel subsidy at N1.8 trillion is for over 200 million Nigerians but the palliative at N2.4 trillion is for 40 million Nigerians only. That amount is more than the subsidy that you are complaining about. That to me is stupid, shameful and laughable. They said it and Nigerians have condemned it but they refused to backtrack and insisted that they are going ahead with the policy. It shows clearly that it is another way of looting. They are creating avenues to steal.

How will they determine the 40 million Nigerians who will get the palliatives?

Like they did with other palliatives, they share it among themselves. The only people from the public who receive the palliatives are the ones you see on television receiving it at the time of launching. Apart from these people, nobody else will receive anything. They will come and demonstrate it the launch by giving 10 to 20 people, after that, no more. This is the same thing they want to do now. I don’t know why people are not ashamed to be doing this kind of thing continuously.

This petroleum subsidy is nonsense. They should not remove any subsidy if there is any. They should not use it as a means of looting. Buhari should keep to his words that there is nothing like a subsidy. He also told us petrol should not sell for more than N50. From the time he became president in 2015 till now, look at the number of times he has increased it. And he doesn’t carry out increments the way previous governments had done. Previous government increase fuel price in bits so that it doesn’t really affect the masses but with Buhari, the increase is astronomic. He doubles the price of petrol beyond the reach of the masses. So, I don’t believe in the removal of subsidy at all. It is another way this government wants to steal and loot.https://independent.ng/fuel-subsidy-removal-another-way-buharis-government-wants-to-loot-the-treasury-hanga/