Catholic missionary priest serving in The Gambia, Rev. Fr. Kelvin Ugwu, has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the 30-day petrol discount initiative, describing the president as a “weapon fashioned against Nigerians.”
Ugwu questioned the transparency and implementation of the initiative, which was announced during the election season, expressing concern that Nigerians might not directly benefit from the temporary reduction in fuel prices.
In a post on Facebook, the priest said he had returned to his previous publications opposing the removal of petrol subsidy to highlight his longstanding position on the policy.
He questioned how the government would identify commercial transporters eligible for the discount and determine the quantity of petrol each beneficiary would be allowed to purchase.
According to him, the absence of clear guidelines on eligibility and purchase limits could make it difficult for Nigerians to establish who would benefit from the initiative.
Ugwu also alleged that while consumers might not see the impact of the discount, the government could later announce the amount spent on the programme.
The priest further criticised Nigerians for, as he put it, focusing on issues unrelated to the country’s challenges instead of holding the government accountable.
He wrote: “All I do now is to go back to all the posts I have written against the removal of fuel subsidy and share them.
“It is election season, they have now come up with 30 days discount for fuel. You know the funniest part? You won’t see the discount, because there is no clear definition of who is a commercial transporter and what quantity can one buy. . . but just wait, you will hear how much was spent on the discount. The money is for them.
“As I said, Tinubu is the weapon fashioned against Nigerians, but we are busy searching for what doesn’t concern us to cast and bind.”
