THE Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has said that the various state governors entered into an agreement with the Federal Government on the removal of the fuel subsidy.
In her reaction to criticisms that she was solely responsible for the hike in the price of petrol, Okonjo-Iweala stated that the state governors were equally in support of the subsidy removal, adding that the decision was not taken by the Federal Government only.
Speaking on 'Matters Arising,' a programme of the Africa Independent Television (AIT) on Tuesday, the Finance Minister, while articulating that the benefits from removal of the fuel subsidy far outweighed the present hardship the people are facing, stated that she was not responsible for the removal of the subsidy, as many people had claimed, adding that the decision was even taken six months before she joined the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan.
"I was not there six months ago, when the state governors deliberated and agreed on the removal of fuel subsidy. Most of the governors then were aware. So, it would be unfair to say that I am solely responsible for this. What of the governors?" she said, adding that, "I am sure it is the people who don't want me here in the first place that are spreading this false information around."
Dr Okonjo-Iweala, therefore, tasked Nigerians to be fair and objective in their criticisms, as far as the removal of the fuel subsidy is concerned, insisting that the decision to remove fuel subsidy, as claimed in many quarters, was not determined by her alone.
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