By polycarp Ifeanyi, Onitsha
A legal Practitioner in Onitsha, Anambra state, Chief Ben Chudi Uzuegbu(SAN) has attributed Federal Government idea of adopting subsidy removal to the major cause of current food crises rocking the entire country.
Chief Uzuegbu in an interview with newsmen in Onitsha decried high cost of commodities especially in the area of food items, noting that high cost of fuel has collapsed all aspects of Nigeria economy.
It would be recalled that the Senior Advocate of Nigeria something in the past warned the dangers of subsidy removal without alternative measure as well as urged Federal Government to revisit the removal policy which he said the economic advisers who approved it made a terrible mistake.
He also said that the subsidy policy should have remained as it was instead of plugging the entire Nation into perpetual economic quagmire on the attempt of adopting subsidy removal policy.
” I don’t know why our leaders don’t know that danger is at the corner. There is a very serious danger concerning their conducts and their leadership. All these restive youths that are moving in the street, it will be just a day, one thing can happen and the whole place will explode. I don’t agree with the economic policy of President Tinubu that fuel could be sold at #189 and suddenly jumped to almost #1,000 when you know fully well that it is essential commodity that will affects all corners of the economy”
Chief Uzuegbu advised President Tinubu to drastically cut down the costs of governance both in executives and legislations, stating that if things continue to adversely affect the citizens, they might one day revolt against the government’s authority.
” Before you decide on subsidy removal, you must put some necessary measures to cushion the effects. Now, it has been removed and the economy has damaged. You are responsible for it. Nobody is saying that subsidy should not be removed, but it has to be done gradually in a such away that if it is removed, other things should be replaced to take care of it”
” If the cost of fuel could be sold at #180, #200 or even #300, it would have been a different issue. But now, the transportation cost is more than cost of the food itself. Imagine if you want to bring in a traller load of tomatoes and you hire a truck, you will be charged more than the cost of the tomatoes. So, the removal of oil subsidy is the major cause of both bad economy and food crises in Nigeria before counting any other things” Said Chief Uzuegbu.
