State governors back hike in fuel price

State governors have expressed their support for the Federal Government’s decision to increase the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit from N86 to N145 despite the increasing opposition to the
development.

Ogun State Governor, Ibikunle Amosun, disclosed this to State House correspondents at the end of a meeting of the Nigeria Governors Forum held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The meeting which started at about 8.45pm on Wednesday ended in the early hours of Thursday.

“We supported it (increase in fuel pump price) because we believe that it is in the interest of the masses,” Amosun told reporters.

While saying that the Federal Government meant well for all Nigerians, the governor said the increase was one of the sacrifices that must be made by all.

He said the belief was that only the rich benefit from fuel subsidy at the detriment of the masses.

He said the money meant to subsidise fuel would now be used to develop infrastructure, adding that the masses would be the better for it in the long run.

The governor said, “These are sacrifices that must be paid by all. The President means well, the government means well, all of us mean well.

“If truly we are caring for the masses, we believe that subsidy only serves the rich, those that are getting us the fuel, and not the masses.

“We believe that such money that has been saved from the subsidy would be used for infrastructural development particularly for social services for the downtrodden masses.

“We are putting our weight behind it while urging the Federal Government and indeed the state governments to see how we can ameliorate all the problems the masses would probably go through in the short run because in the long run, they would be the better for it.”

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