Subsidy: Nigeria no longer Father Christmas to neighbouring countries – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu said yesterday that Nigeria could no longer act a Father Christmas to its neighbours hence the decision by the federal government to remove the subsidy of fuel.

He appealed to the National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) delegation led by the Sultan of Sokoto,Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, to help government secure the understanding of the people at the grassroots on the situation.

He said the pump prices of fuel would ultimately come down.
“You paid attention to what I’ve been doing, I’m grateful. You paid attention to the subsidy removal. Why should we, in good sense, in good heart feed smugglers, be a Father Christmas to the neighbouring countries, even though they say not every day is Christmas?” he said.

“So the elephant that was going to bring Nigeria to its knees is the subsidy, a country that cannot pay salaries and you say potentials. We encourage ourselves. I think we did the right thing.

“It’s in your hands, as the closest people to the local government, to the grassroots, to persuade our people to have the understanding that the price will be high now, but it will go down and any roadblocks on the way to our progress, we’ll remove , I pledge.”

On security, the President reiterated his pledge to Nigerians to prioritise the sector until every Nigerian “goes to sleep with his two eyes closed”.

He emphasized that the unity and togetherness of the country could not be compromised, saying that every region of the country would get its due.

“We are going to tackle youth unemployment. It is only when we have the prosperity for the country that we can create jobs that will employ our youths”, he said.