'Fuel Discount a Scam, Tinubu Govt has Failed' — NDC Chieftain Iroegbu

A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Dickson Iroegbu, has sharply criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing the Federal Government’s recently announced fuel discount as a scam and accusing the government of total failure in key areas affecting Nigerians.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Friday, Iroegbu said the government had proven itself inept.

He was reacting to the announcement by the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Taiwo Oyedele, that the government was offering a 30-day discount on petrol sold at Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) outlets.

“The fuel discount is a scam. This government has shown itself to be inept,” Iroegbu said.He noted that the administration had repeatedly described the removal of fuel subsidy as a bold and necessary decision, while people who protested against it were detained. “Now, days before the election, it has introduced a 30-day fuel discount,” he added.

Iroegbu argued that there is nothing inherently wrong with subsidies, provided corruption is tackled so that the savings can fund them.

“The government has utterly failed in these areas,” he stated.He further pointed out that NNPC is now a private limited liability company and no longer owned by the government.

According to him, NNPC itself had clarified that the discount formed part of celebrations marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and that the reduced pump price was announced by the company, not the government.

“This government is looking for a way to hoodwink and confuse Nigerians into believing that it has a plan, when it has shown over three years that it has no real plan,” Iroegbu concluded.