Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has questioned the benefits Nigerians have received from the removal of the fuel subsidy under President Bola Tinubu.
Falana raised the concern during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he called on Nigerians to demand accountability from the Federal Government as well as state and local governments over the use of increased public revenues.
The senior lawyer questioned why additional funds generated following the subsidy removal could not be channelled into addressing the country’s infrastructure challenges.
Falana recalled that state governments previously carried out road repairs and subsequently sought refunds from the Federal Government.
He warned against a return to what he described as the “era of the fuel subsidy scam”, arguing that Nigerians should be told how the savings and additional revenues from subsidy removal are being utilised.
“Where are they? We must begin to ask questions of the local government, the state government and the Nigerian government.”
Falana said claims that Nigerians should continue waiting for the benefits of the policy were becoming increasingly difficult to accept amid the economic pressures facing citizens.
“If you say we are making more money, we don’t want to go back to the era of the fuel subsidy scam. Where are the benefits? It’s a fallacy being told to wait and wait and wait. People are dying,” he said.
His comments come amid continued debate over the impact of the 2023 fuel subsidy removal, with Nigerians facing concerns over living costs, transportation expenses and household purchasing power.
Falana maintained that increased government revenues should translate into tangible improvements in the lives of citizens and infrastructure across the country.
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