President Tinubu bows to public pressure, reviews N8,000 palliative initiative

“In the last few days, the conventional and new media platforms have become awash with stories of the government intending to embark on conditional cash transfer to vulnerable households mostly affected by the painful but necessary decision to remove subsidy from petrol.

“The story has been widely reported that the Federal Government is proposing to give 12 million households from the poorest of the poor N8,000 monthly for a period of six months as government palliative to reduce the discomfort being experienced by Nigerians consequent upon subsidy removal,” the statement read in part.

He said that the administration believes in the maxim that when there is prohibition, there must be provision.

“Since subsidy, the hydra-headed monster threatening to kill the economy, has been stopped, government has emplaced a broad spectrum of reliefs to bring help to Nigerians.

“It should be noted that cash programme is not the only item in the whole gamut of relief package of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he stated.

The president further assured Nigerians that the N500 billion approved by parliament to cushion the pain occasioned by the end of subsidy regime would be judiciously utilised.

He added that the beneficiaries of the reliefs shall be Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic, religious or political affiliation

“President Bola Tinubu has promised to always prioritise the wellbeing of Nigerians and he is irrevocably committed to the vow.

“A number of decisions taken so far by this Administration have buttressed this stance.

“You will recall that the President took a similar decision after listening to complaints from the business community/stakeholders about burdensome taxes, particularly multiplicity of taxes they are made to experience.

“This warranted the signing of four (4) Executive Orders cancelling some classes of taxes, while suspending the implementation dates of others,” he said.

The President had also set up a Tax Reform/Fiscal Policy Committee to bring up recommendations that would engender a wholesome fiscal environment for the country and remove anti-business barriers.

He stressed that: “President Tinubu will continue to be a listening leader whose ears will not be dull to the views expressed by the citizenry.

“The President believes government exists to cater for the interest of the people and he has demonstrated this so clearly.”

NAN)