Former President of the Ijaw Youths Council Worldwide, Udengs Eradiri, urged President Bola Tinubu to redirect savings from fuel subsidy removal towards revamping government-owned refineries and strengthening local government autonomy.
Eradiri, who also served as a Commissioner for Youth Development and later Environment in Bayelsa State, argued that returning to fuel subsidy would not provide the lasting relief Nigerians need.
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His intervention came in response to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal for the restoration of fuel subsidy.
“I disagree with former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s proposal to return fuel subsidy. I think that the intended objective of having the fuel subsidy in the first place was not achieved, as it failed to bring succour to the people,” Eradiri said.
Rather than reversing the reform, Eradiri wants the Federal Government to make the benefits of subsidy removal more visible through investments that can reduce production and living costs.
At the centre of his proposal is Nigeria’s long-standing struggle to maintain its public refineries.
Eradiri welcomed President Tinubu’s reported push to have the refineries operating at full capacity, but called for a more forceful implementation strategy.
He urged the President to direct the Minister of Petroleum Resources to spend more time at refinery locations and establish clear deadlines for resolving the problems preventing them from operating effectively.
He also proposed the creation of a dedicated Ministry of Refineries, arguing that a separate institution could provide the sustained attention needed to tackle the technical and administrative obstacles surrounding refinery operations.
For Eradiri, the ultimate test should be whether domestic refining can translate into cheaper petrol and lower costs across the wider economy.
“The essence of getting the refineries to work is to create excess supply of petrol that will force down the prices to create a spiral effect on goods and services. That is where the common man will benefit,” he said.
His argument reflects a broader economic concern: lower petrol costs could ease pressure on transportation, manufacturing, food distribution and other sectors that depend heavily on energy.
Eradiri also turned his attention to Nigeria’s local government system, accusing state governors of weakening the impact of economic reforms by retaining control over council administrations and finances.
He specifically pointed to the Supreme Court judgment affirming local government autonomy and argued that its implementation should be treated as a priority.
“The gains of the ongoing economic reforms by the President seem to be frustrated by the governors, the majority of whom have refused to implement the Supreme Court judgment on local government autonomy,” he said.
Eradiri proposed that the Independent National Electoral Commission should conduct local government elections, rather than state electoral bodies.
He believes such a change would reduce governors’ influence over elected council chairmen and make it easier for allocations meant for local governments to reach the councils directly.
The former IYC president also called for a framework to guide how council funds are spent, particularly on projects with immediate benefits for communities.
Community roads, farm roads and other basic infrastructure, he argued, could provide more tangible relief to residents at the grassroots than funds that remain within politically controlled structures.
“Local government funds of today can build community roads, farm roads and other things that can make positive impact,” Eradiri said.
His criticism was particularly pointed towards state governments that, according to him, continue to control local government finances through their influence over council chairmen.
“Many of these governors don’t allow these monies to get to the local government because they still control their chairmen,” he alleged.
Eradiri ultimately called for a change in the implementation of the Federal Government’s economic strategy, arguing that increased funding alone would not be enough if citizens did not feel its impact.
“The President cannot be working hard, and his hard work will be sabotaged by the incompetence and greed of the governors,” he said.
The intervention places two issues at the centre of the continuing debate over Nigeria’s economic reforms: how the government can turn the savings from subsidy removal into practical benefits for citizens, and how greater financial independence for local councils could translate into improved services.
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For Eradiri, the answer lies not in reversing the subsidy reform, but in making its gains more visible through domestic refining, accountable spending and stronger grassroots institutions.
