SARAKI TASKS FG ON AWARENESS-CAMPAIGN OVER FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL:
The enlightenment campaign he believed, would assist government to win the confidence of all Nigerians by telling them the benefits inherent in the removal of oil subsidy stressing that that it has become imperative now if the federal government must effectively perform its obligations to the citizenry.
Senator Saraki who spoke with selected newsmen in Ilorin at the weekend on the state of the nation also decried the way and manner some cartels in the country had milked the economy dry in the country which hitherto has affected the socio economic growth of the nation.
He said: ' There is need for the federal government to start now a massive public enlightenment campaign on the need for the removal of oil subsidy among labour unions, professional bodies, private sector, students, market women and general public.'
He stated that the development would go a long way in educating Nigerians to embrace it so that, they would understand that, though they cannot get the subsidy physically but they can see it in terms of provision of infrastructure in all the states of the federation.
He pointed out that, the present situation in oil sector is already suffocating government finances adding that, no development can occur if the federal government retains the oil subsidy.
The former governor advised that government should be transparent and open in the utilisation of the proceeds of the process as the people had already lost confidence in it.
He noted that, it was disappointing that some cartels in the petroleum sector in the country are enmeshed in fraud with the alleged spending of N600 billion for the importation of fuel into the country last year and has now increased to over N1 trillion without anything to show for the disparity.
He pointed out that with the setting up of a panel of the national assembly to look into this allege fraud, it would assist Nigerians to know those behind the economic stagnation of the country and thereby correcting the situation.
On the seventh national assembly, former governor Saraki said that, the present legislature is promising that, the country would witness productive legislation capable of transforming the socio-economic of the nation.
Saraki assured Nigerians that the present national assembly would legislate laws that would change their lives for better and thus would improve the standard of living of the populace noting that, they are determined to work together with the executive so as to provide a virile development of the country.