Former Minister of Transportation Chibuike Amaechi has criticized the implementation of President Bola Tinubu’s fuel subsidy removal policy, despite acknowledging the necessity of the move.
Speaking recently, Amaechi said while he supports ending the subsidy, the government’s approach worsened hardship among Nigerians.
“If I were president, I would also have removed the oil subsidy, but I would have done it differently,” Amaechi said. He argued that the government should have first taken steps to cushion the economic impact, such as creating jobs through social housing projects.
Amaechi suggested that constructing 200,000 to 300,000 houses across Nigeria’s 36 states could have provided employment for carpenters, bricklayers, and suppliers of building materials. He also criticized the Christian church for not resisting policies he claims have deepened the suffering of citizens, noting that “while brothers were dying and people were committing suicide,” the government moved forward with subsidy removal without adequate safeguards.
