Under Jonathan, Senator Bola Tinubu, the so-called National Leader of the APC, rallied Nigerians against the removal of the petroleum subsidy.
He castigated the government’s attempt to remove the subsidy as a wicked tool designed to impoverish Nigerians. These were his words:
“As there is progressive politics, there is progressive economics. As there is elitist politics, there is elitist economics. It all depends on what and who in society government would rather favour. The Jonathan tax represents a new standard in elitism. Because he is slave to wrong-headed economics the people will become enslaved to greater misery.
This crisis will bear his name and will be his legacy. The people now pay a steep tax for voting him into office. The removal of the subsidy is the ‘Jonathan tax.’”
But now that the APC is in power, Tinubu is calling for the removal of the same petroleum subsidy he lampooned Jonathan for trying to remove. Speaking at the memorial anniversary of the passing of the late Bala Usman on 18 December, 2015, Tinubu said:
“I have reached the conclusion that there are too many demons in the system for that hell to be turned into heaven. It is better that we remove it, not for the austere purpose of saving money but to use the money more wisely that we might better save the people. Let us begin a process of a thoughtful, but decisive subsidy phase-out.”
What are we to make of this hypocrisy? According to Tinubu, the removal of the petroleum subsidy under the PDP would amount to a Jonathan tax designed to enslave the people to greater misery. But under the APC, the removal of the subsidy would be a Buhari tax that would save the people. Which of these lies are we supposed to believe?
#AkwaIbom
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