Bí ìjọba bá fún àwọn ilé-iṣẹ́ ìtúnṣe epo ládùúgbò ní owó ìrànlọ́wọ́, báwo ni ìwọ yóò ṣe rí i dájú pé ànfààní rẹ̀ dé ọ̀dọ̀ àwọn ará Nàìjíríà dípò kí ó di èrè àfikún fún àwọn onílé-iṣẹ́ náà?

Q41: How will you ensure that any subsidy reaches consumers rather than becoming additional profit for refinery owners, being diverted, or being abused through corruption and false claims? Answer: Subsidies will be paid only on verified volume output measured by digital meters at refinery gates, backed by end-to-end supply chain tracking to prevent false claims and smuggling. Q42: Which refineries would qualify for the subsidy, how will Nigerians know how much government is spending, and what mechanisms will ensure transparency? Answer: All licensed public and private domestic refineries qualify. Transparency is guaranteed through monthly public reporting of crude allocations, refined outputs, and subsidy payouts on an open portal. Q43: How long would the subsidy last, and what conditions would determine when it should be reduced or ended? Answer: My policy includes a clear sunset clause, gradually unwinding the subsidy as domestic refining meets 100% of national demand, foreign exchange stabilizes, and consumer incomes rise.

Atiku says production subsidy will protect Nigerian refineries, cut domestic production costs and make fuel more affordable without forcing refiners to sell at a loss. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the Tinubu Presidency of deliberately distorting concerns raised by Dangote Refinery in a desperate attempt to discredit his production subsidy proposal, saying the refinery’s warning against arbitrary pump-price controls actually exposes the dishonesty of the government’s argument. In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said Dangote Refinery was right to insist that a private refinery cannot be forced to carry losses created by government-imposed prices, but said the Presidency was being deliberately dishonest by pretending that this was what his plan proposed. “Dangote raised a legitimate business concern.

If government wants rice to become cheaper, it has two choices: spend money making imported rice cheaper, or help Nigerian farmers reduce the cost of producing rice at home. The second option lowers prices while also creating jobs, strengthening local businesses and keeping economic activity in Nigeria. “That is exactly what we are proposing for fuel. *We are restoring subsidy, but moving it from importation to production.* “The subsidy follows the barrel refined in Nigeria.” Atiku said his proposal would reduce the cost of crude feedstock supplied to qualifying domestic refineries through a transparent, capped and independently verified mechanism. “If the crude entering a refinery becomes cheaper, the cost of producing petrol should also come down. That reduction should then reach the average Nigerian while preserving legitimate refining costs and a reasonable commercial margin.

“There is a clear difference between helping a producer reduce costs and forcing that producer to sell at a loss. “The Tinubu Presidency knows this. If it pretends otherwise, then it is not confused. It is deliberately misleading Nigerians.” Atiku said the government’s attempt to equate every subsidy with import dependence was a brazen, dishonest and crude distortion designed to mislead Nigerians of the policy debate. “Under our plan, support will be tied strictly to crude refined in Nigeria. Nigerian refineries will benefit. Nigerian workers will benefit. Nigerian businesses will benefit. Nigerian consumers will benefit. “If you do not refine in Nigeria, you do not qualify. “This is not a subsidy for foreign refineries. It is not a subsidy for importers. It is not a subsidy for middlemen.

“We will know how many barrels receive support, which refinery receives them, what is produced, what it costs the taxpayer and what benefit Nigerians receive. “No mystery barrels. No endless claims. No blank cheques.” Atiku said Nigeria’s refining future would depend heavily on private capital and that the commercial viability of domestic refineries must therefore be protected. “Dangote Refinery, modular refineries and other Nigerian investments must remain viable. We want more refineries, more investment, more competition and more refining capacity. “But the Nigerian consumer must also benefit from the fact that this country produces crude oil. “We reject the false choice between a profitable refinery and an affordable pump price.

We will introduce a capped, budgeted production subsidy tied to verified fuel refined in Nigeria, including fuel from modular refineries. Imported petrol will not qualify. The benefit must reach consumers through lower pump prices. We will publish the costs, independently audit the payments and cut government waste to help fund the programme. The principle is simple: produce here, refine here, create jobs here and pay less here. If Bola disagrees, he should answer the proposal on its merits. Calling relief an addiction will not lower the price of petrol. Bola, your speech is full of “we will.” We will make farming cheaper. We will power factories. We will create jobs. We will bring down prices. You have been President for more than three years. Nigerians are entitled to ask what you have done with the time already given to you. You say that when farmers produce more cheaply and manufacturers spend less on electricity, prices will fall. Of course they will. But farmers and manufacturers are telling you that they cannot produce cheaply now. A farmer who cannot safely reach his field cannot wait for your theory of cheaper food. A factory paying more to keep its machines running cannot wait for another promise of industrial growth.