*As he says Tinubu gave over N135b in December 2023 to fight COVID-19
By KEMI KASUMU
“So, if anybody tells you Nigerians must sacrifice because tgere is no money, tell then what they are saying is Bunkum. Bull shut!” Hesaid.
Mr Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has challenged Nigerians to ask for the gains of fuel subsidy removal.
He gave the charge at the 18th memorial talk for Dr Beko Ransom Kuti, the first President of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights, in Lagos.
He saw a great hypocrisy in the way Nigerian Governors and the nation’s legislators behave, as he said N135 billion was given by Tinubu in December 2023 to fight COVID-19.
While the latter wanted Nigerians to endure with the hope of light at the end of the tunnel, they gave themselves N160 million SUVs each. Not only that, they raised the 2024 National Assembly budget from N178 million to N344 million, it was alleged.
“As for governors, they have been receiving humongous sums from the Federal Government. In June, they received N1.9 trillion from the Federal Government. There is no month they got less than N1 trillion,” Falana said.
Falana made a comparison that as bad as General Sani Abacha was, he established the Petroleum Trust Funds (PTF) to tackle infrastructural deficits.
While the current administration at the federal level promised that gains of fuel subsidy removal would be used to tackle unemployment and food scarcity, Falana lamented that the people “have been forgotten.”
“This regime of Bola Tinubu gave out N135 billion to governors, to fight COVID-19, in 2023! Mr. President, we must have explanation on this. In December 2023!
“This regime must warehouse the gains of the removal of fuel subsidy and channel it towards alleviating the poverty of our people.
“What I mean is this, in April last year, what the three tiers of government; the Federal Government, State Government and Local Government shared was N655 billion. In April last year. Fuel subsidy was removed since June, according to the Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, there is no month that less than N1 trillion has been shared. As a matter of fact, you can quote me on his, in June last year what they shared was N1.9 trillion.
“People were embarrassed when they got to Abuja. Nibo leti r’owo yi (where did you get this money from)? They had to save N900 billion and shared N1 trillion.
“In December last year. You know the governors came to Lagos to celebrate with President Bola Tinubu? That month, what was shared was N1.7 trillion. That is apart from the N135 billion I told you about (given to the governors to fight COVID-19 in December 2023).
“So, if anybody tells you Nigerians must sacrifice because tgere is no money, tell then what they are saying is Bunkum. Bull shit!” He said.
He, therefore, charged, “What we should be demanding: ‘Where are the gains of fuel subsidy removal?’” Falana asked.
