The General Overseer of the Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has stated that from what is happening today, it was obvious that the Federal Government did not make a wide research and consultation before making move of increasing the price of fuel.
He continued by saying that the Save Nigeria Group was not strictly against the fuel subsidy removal in 2012. He added that his group and other pro democratic group really wanted the ex-President Jonathan to first of all recover stolen funds from subsidy before the actual removal.
While addressing newsmen on the fuel price increase, said those who alleged that he kept quiet on the fuel price hike were not speaking the truth.
In his words, “In 2012, we were not against the economic arguments behind fuel subsidy removal. Instead, we wanted the government to investigate the subsidy regime, bring culprits in the maladministration of that regime to book and recover stolen funds before commencing the policy discourse around subsidy removal.
“We have not changed our earlier conviction in spite of a change in government. We have only acknowledged that the new government has persistently demonstrated its anti-corruption stance while seeking policy solutions to the economic crisis, though there have been gaps in policy management.”
He was of the opinion that the best thing the government would have done was to consult stakeholders and also go on an enlightenment campaign on the new pump price regime before introducing it.
