Elder statesman and South-South Leader Chief Edwin Clark has advised President Bola Tinubu to give palliative care first priority in order to address problems brought on by the elimination of fuel subsidies.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Abuja, Clark made the decision.

The withdrawal of the gasoline subsidy, which boosted the price of fuel at the pump from N194 to over N500 with variances in several states, was announced by Tinubu during his inaugural speech on May 29.

The administration had made the right decision, according to Clark, who praised the president for eliminating the subsidies.

“They have done the right thing. After all, all the candidates before the 2023 general election had advocated and promised to remove fuel subsidies.

“Everybody regarded it as a scam; it does not exist. Where are these faceless people we are paying the oil subsidy to, how has it benefited the ordinary man in Nigeria?

“Remember in January 2012, the Jonathan-led administration attempted to remove it, but the very people and leaders who opposed it at that time have now turned round to say yes it must go,” said Clark.

The removal of the fuel subsidy, he continued, was an extremely audacious move by President Tinubu.

“Some people believe that since Tinubu was talking about subsidy removal during his campaign and also in his manifesto, he should have strategized how to provide the palliative to cushion the effect,” he said.

According to Clark, government employees are aware that gasoline subsidies have never been in their best interests and that spending trillions of naira on them is inappropriate.

According to the South-South leader, life will be considerably better if the subsidies are used to improve the country’s transportation, education, and health sectors. “We will have a better Nigeria,” he continued.

“Now that a committee has been set up, where all parties will be involved, they should work it out.”

NAN