Falana Questions Tinubu on $10 Billion Fuel Import Funds

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), criticized President Bola Tinubu's fuel subsidy removal policy during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics. He stated that the savings expected from the subsidy removal have been nullified by the devaluation of the naira and the government's neoliberal economic policies.

Falana pointed out that when President Tinubu announced the end of the fuel subsidy on May 29, 2023, it had already ceased because no funds were allocated for it in that year’s budget. He emphasized that at the commercial rate, the subsidy had effectively ended prior to the announcement due to the lack of budgetary provisions.

Falana questioned the fate of the estimated $10 billion that was supposed to be used for fuel imports, asserting that these savings have been consumed by the naira's devaluation and other economic policies implemented by the government.