*Calls Out Tinubu Administration on Subsidy Regime and Human Rights Abuses By Awwal Umar Kontagora Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku A...
*Calls Out Tinubu Administration on Subsidy Regime and Human Rights Abuses
By Awwal Umar Kontagora
Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Nigerian government to explain why Oando Plc, a company owned by President Bola Tinubu’s nephew, received expedited approval to acquire the onshore assets of AGIP and ENI, while other transactions, such as the Shell/Renaissance deal and the Mobil/Seplat acquisition, face ongoing delays.
In a statement released on Sunday, Atiku criticized the Tinubu administration for what he described as a “sham subsidy regime.” The statement, issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, accused President Tinubu of misleading the public about the removal of fuel subsidies.
Atiku pointed out that despite claims of subsidy removal, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has acknowledged a debt of N7.8 trillion owed by the government.
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also criticized the House of Representatives for failing to take adequate action against the NNPCL, which he claimed had “mortgaged the country’s national oil assets to vested interests.”
The statement read in part: “Tinubu visited the FMDQ in New York, Qatar, and France, where he misrepresented the situation regarding petrol subsidies. Clearly, this is not a leader serious about attracting foreign direct investment (FDI). More concerning is his refusal to acknowledge that subsidies are still being paid. The NNPCL admits that N7.8 trillion is owed to the national oil company by the Nigerian government.”
The statement further noted, “The IMF estimates that subsidy payments this year will account for 3% of GDP, approximately $7.5 billion or N11.8 trillion. Yet, petrol scarcity persists while the Tinubu administration continues to hinder both the Dangote Refinery and its own NNPCL facilities. It appears the subsidy regime is being used as a conduit for funding the 2027 elections.”
Atiku also alleged that Oando Plc was receiving undue preferential treatment in the oil and gas sector at the expense of more competent companies. He highlighted that within eight months, the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) approved the divestment of ENI/AGIP’s onshore assets to Oando. During the same period, Nigeria controversially withdrew all litigation against Shell/ENI in the OPL 245 scandal, which Atiku described as a quid pro quo arrangement.
“However, SEPLAT’s attempt to acquire Mobil’s onshore assets has stalled for the past three years, with the consent letter still on Tinubu’s desk. The Renaissance-Shell deal also continues to face delays. The only deal that has been completed swiftly is the one involving Oando. It’s now clear why it received accelerated approval.”
Atiku criticized the current administration’s approach to democracy, stating, “Ideally, democracy should be government of the people, by the people, and for the people. But in Nigeria, democracy has become a government of Tinubu, by Tinubu, and for Tinubu and his family members.”
The former Vice President also expressed concern over rising human rights abuses under Tinubu’s administration. He highlighted incidents involving the unlawful detention of journalists and whistleblowers, such as Bristol Tamunobiefiri, suggesting a deliberate attempt to suppress dissent.
“The dangerous trend of enforced disappearances is becoming a national embarrassment,” Atiku warned, urging Tinubu to take immediate action to prevent potential international sanctions.
He concluded by advising the government to address these issues seriously or risk further damaging Nigeria’s reputation and its ability to address insecurity, especially with the possibility of sanctions from Western powers due to ongoing human rights violations.
No comments