Vice President Kashim Shettima has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi over his position on fuel subsidy, arguing that Nigerians should consider petrol prices in neighbouring African countries before judging the cost of fuel in Nigeria.
Speaking at an event, Shettima said he respected Obi but questioned what the former Anambra State governor had to offer on the economy beyond what he described as dubious statistics.
“Mr. Obi has absolutely nothing to offer,” he declared, while challenging the economic credentials of those advocating alternative approaches to managing the country’s economy.
The Vice President also compared petrol prices in Nigeria with those in Niger Republic, Benin Republic and Cameroon, claiming that a litre of petrol sold for approximately $0.85 (₦1,148.36) in Niger, $1.28 (₦1,729.29) in Benin Republic and $1.44 (₦1,945.45) in Cameroon, compared with ₦1,300 in Nigeria, according to the figures he presented.
Shettima further recalled that Cameroon’s only refinery had shut down about five to six years earlier, alleging that the country had struggled to compete with cheaper Nigerian fuel imports.
He warned against returning to a situation where Nigeria effectively subsidised fuel consumption across the continent through exports to other African countries.
“Unless we want to revert back to the old status quo of Nigeria being the godfather or the Father Christmas of Africa, of Nigerian oil going as far as Central African Republic,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to examine the available information before reaching conclusions, telling his audience, “You have to make informed decision.”
