“Tinubu To Tax Air Nigerians Breathe”
Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has faulted President Bola Tinubu’s approval of a 15 per cent import duty on refined petroleum products, warning that it will worsen hardship for Nigerians already struggling with economic difficulties.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Adebayo described the decision as unjust and exploitative, accusing the administration of excessive taxation.
“President Tinubu is a clever tax collector. He wants to collect taxes from you for everything, including the oxygen tax, very soon.
“If you’re not careful, yes, the air we breathe. Just give him time; he’s going to get there,” he said.
Adebayo said the new tariff is inconsistent with the ideals Tinubu once championed.
“It is an anti-people decision and a trend in the new Tinubu. Tinubu who used to be in SDP, following Abiola everywhere doing Hope 93, has practically changed to the side of the money people.
“They see you as a customer, not a citizen. If you have twins and triplets in your house, Tinubu is going to think of the twins tax or ‘multiple childbirth tax.’ He’s just thinking of how to collect more money. It’s wrong,” he said.
He added that the import duty would ultimately be borne by consumers at the pump.
“If you put 15 per cent tariffs on imported petrol, who is going to pay for it? It’s going to be paid by the person who buys the petrol at the filling station,” he said.
Adebayo criticised the government’s failure to make Nigeria’s refineries functional, arguing that the president, as Minister of Petroleum, should prioritise domestic refining.
“For example, we gave you refineries to manage. You appointed yourself Minister of Petroleum. We spent billions on turnaround maintenance. You are not making the refineries work.
“You are the reason why we are importing now. Because you are importing, you went from ‘I’m not paying subsidy, we are net zero, nobody pays subsidy’, you now want to surcharge me for your inefficiency. Am I the reason why refineries are not working?” he queried.
He urged Tinubu to direct the relevant officials to restore the country’s refineries.
“What he needs to do is to call Heineken Lokpobiri and Bayo Ojulari and say, ‘I want those refineries to work. I give you six months, and I want fuel importation reduced to zero,’” he said.
President Tinubu had earlier approved a 15 per cent ad-valorem import duty on petrol and diesel imports, following a proposal from FIRS Chairman Zacch Adedeji.
The government said the policy was aimed at protecting local refineries and stabilising the downstream market, though experts had warned it could increase pump prices.
