Misery: A professor of Political Economy, Pat Utomi has demanded the return of subsidy on petroleum products.
Bellnews reports that fuel scarcity has been more frequent since President Bola Tinubu removed the costly fuel subsidies that saw the government pay billions of dollars a year to keep the price of petrol artificially low.
Its price has since more than tripled in some states, with a knock-on effect on food and transport costs.
Speaking on the development during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, Utomi urged the government to subsidise essential things Nigerians need fuel for.
He said, “The first thing to do is to recognise essential things that Nigerians need fuel for. I will subsidise those things.
“There will be a subsidy. The Americans have subsidy for Agriculture, it is a matter of where you direct it to.”
Speaking further, Utomi blamed the political class for the pains experienced by Nigerians lately.
“Nigeria’s political class is responsible for the Nigerian misery. The political class has failed the country.
“Look at the choices we have repeatedly made, look at the kind of National Assembly that we have. The political class needs to come out publicly before the country.
“In South-East Asia, people will come out and do a humiliation from what the public has suffered as a result of the irresponsibility of the political class in Nigeria,” he added.