In a report released by The Sun Newspaper on September 3, 2023, two prominent human rights and pro-democracy organizations, the Campaign for Democracy (CD) and the Human Rights, Liberty Access, and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), have come together to issue a collective appeal to President Bola Tinubu. Their shared plea urges President Tinubu to reconsider the allocation of recovered subsidy funds, redirecting them towards the vital task of rehabilitating Nigeria’s struggling refineries instead of distributing them among the states.
These organizations contend that the current approach of disbursing the funds under the guise of “palliatives” is, in reality, a thinly veiled attempt to placate state Governors. There are also allegations swirling that President Tinubu has previously extended financial favors to other influential political and judicial figures within the National Assembly and the National Judicial Council (NJC), all under the pretext of providing palliatives.
Dede Uzor, a prominent leader who heads both the CD in the South East and Huride, has expressed her profound skepticism in a public statement. Uzor conveyed their strong belief that these funds represent yet another maneuver by President Tinubu’s administration to deceive the Nigerian population and divert their attention from pressing issues.
Uzor also raised concerns about the government’s inconsistent actions, highlighting how the same administration had backtracked on its initial promise of an N8,000 palliative for disadvantaged Nigerians due to public outcry and the Nigeria Labour Congress’ criticism. In an unexpected twist, the government now plans to allocate N2 billion to each State Governor as palliatives to cushion the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
These organizations are now raising crucial questions about the fairness and wisdom of such an allocation, particularly in light of the past failures of State Governors to effectively distribute COVID-19 palliatives, resulting in these essential items rotting away or being pilfered by desperate youths. Their simple and logical plea resonates: why not utilize these substantial funds for the urgently needed refurbishment of the refineries, thereby reducing Nigeria’s reliance on fuel imports and addressing a critical national issue? It remains to be seen how President Tinubu and the government will respond to this joint appeal, but it underscores the pressing need for transparency and responsible allocation of public funds in Nigeria.
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