Spokesperson to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Kenneth Okonkwo has criticised Nigeria’s fuel pricing regime.
He argued that there should never have been a subsidy on petroleum products in the country.
Okonkwo, speaking on Sunday, said the current cost of petrol has placed an enormous burden on ordinary Nigerians, particularly in relation to the country’s minimum wage.
According to him, a Nigerian whose vehicle has a 100-litre fuel tank would need about N130,000 to fill it, an amount he said is almost twice the N70,000 minimum wage.
“There ought not to be subsidy in the first place in Nigeria because oil is our product,” Okonkwo said.
He added: “A Nigerian who has a vehicle with a 100-litre fuel tank will have to pay N130k, which is almost twice the minimum wage, meaning N70,000 [minimum wage] paid to a Nigerian can only afford him half a tank for his vehicle, no rent, no food, no medicals…nothing.”
Okonkwo’s remarks follows concerns over the impact of petrol prices on household incomes and the ability of Nigerians to meet other basic needs.
