The withdrawal of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) subsidy is not opposed by Nigerians, according to Festus Osifo, President of the Trade Union Congress (TUC), but they are waiting for the federal government to earn their trust on the subject.
On Thursday in Lagos, Nigeria, at the Association of Energy Correspondents of Nigeria (NAEC) Strategic International Conference, Osifo made this statement during a panel discussion.
He claimed that the majority of Nigerians were more focused on finding affordable and dependable energy than they were on the energy shift.
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He pointed out that the complex PMS subsidy issue was the reason why the downstream sector hadn’t grown to its full potential.
Osifo said, “The Presidency should come out and say that they’re reducing their budget. The National Assembly also needs to do so. That’s leading by example.
“Nigerians aren’t really averse to the subsidy removal, but the government must be ready to demonstrate not just by talking but by doing and by acting.
“The government must demonstrate that if subsidies must go, this must reflect in our education, it must reflect in our healthcare and also our level of infrastructure.
“So, the trust deficit that Nigerians have must be addressed before we can make any progress.”
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