Removing Subsidy Would Provide More Funds For Education- Akabueze

A former commissioner in Lagos state and present Director General of the Budget Office of Nigeria, Ben Akabueze, has called for the removal of fuel subsidy, adding that the trillions of naira spent on fuel subsidy can be deployed to other creative sectors, particularly education.

In a television interview, Akabueze said the funds could be used to end the Academic Staff Union of Universities strike and increase the pay of government staff.

“The truth is that public servants need to be paid far better than they are now. It’s like the ongoing issue regarding ASUU and the pay for lecturers. I haven’t come across anyone in government who thinks that lecturers are adequately paid or who thinks lecturers should not be paid significantly more. The crux of the ASUU matter is the ability to pay. It is why this matter has dragged on because the government has refused to commit to a number that it does not have the ability to pay,” he said.

Akabueze noted that fuel subsidies often had a huge impact on the economy and the lives of the people, stressing that “when you eliminate fuel subsidies or cut back on it, there will be an immediate impact on people”.