Lawyer defends Buhari on fuel price hike, says it’s unwise to spend trillions on subsidy

Emmanuel Umohinyang, a lawyer, has asked Nigerians to be patient with the government over the new pump price of petrol and review of electricity tariff.

Commenting on the criticisms that have trailed the removal of subsidy during an interactive session with journalists in Lagos, Umohinyang said President Muhammadu Buhari has the interest of Nigerians at heart.

He said Nigerians will benefit from the policy in the long run.

“I Will agree that Nigerians are going through a lot of stress, I agree that things are difficult, I agree that things are hard but there can be no better time to have a good thing,” he said.

“A good president is not the one who wants to please some group of people, but one who takes hard decision even when it is unpopular. We must protect the young generation unborn.

“There are some of the things which the president has been able to achieve by taking that step.
We cannot be spending trillions of naira on subsidy and then turn around to borrow money from China to do our roads, our rails, our agro-businesses.

“The government is in pain in taking that decision but it’s a pain that is necessary that we must endure at this time of our lives. I want to appeal to the opposition that you do not only criticise the president when things go wrong but you also appreciate him when he has delivered up to expectation.”

He also commented on development in the political space, asking the US authorities to extend visa ban to looters.

Recently, the US authorities announced a ban on some politicians involved in election rigging.

The UK also said it would not only ban politicians involved in rigging but also seize assets of such persons.

The lawyer, who is also the president of the Centre for Leadership and Justice, said foreign countries should act against looters.

“While we agree that our friends in the West are here to help us through our democracy, it is hypocritical for these two countries to continue to create an impression that it is only by election rigging that things are done upside down in our country,” he said.

“When you apply Visa ban on politicians who rig but how do you then justify keeping your back yard as a place for housing looted funds, they should also place ban on those who steal our common patrimony and build houses in their country.

“So you want to place Visa ban on election riggers but you are comfortable in keeping looted funds of the same politicians in your country? They should place visa ban on anyone that steals from Nigeria should be dealt with not just election rigging.

“You should go beyond election and rigging and begin to tell politicians that the era where you steal and go free is over.

“So it is my position and take, I agree that it will send some message but it is not enough, election is naturally an internal politics of the country but it is okay of you decide to use an instrument of Visa ban and they are right to issue who they want to give their Visa to but we are saying is that they must go beyond this.

“So we must begin to tell these countries that we appreciate the Visa ban by riggers but we will be more comfortable for them to place the ban on those who have stolen our country money. And I think that’s the way to go.”