Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, has openly criticised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration, accusing it of lacking transparency over the removal of Nigeria’s fuel subsidy.
Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Lawal claimed the government has not been entirely honest about fuel pricing and subsidy payments. According to him, the current high cost of petrol does not truly reflect market realities.
He alleged that the government is quietly shouldering part of the subsidy costs to avoid triggering deeper economic problems — a move he says contradicts the administration’s earlier stance. Lawal also faulted what he described as policy inconsistency, noting that Tinubu’s government campaigned on strong economic reforms but appears to be backtracking on critical decisions.
“This raises serious questions about honesty in governance and the sincerity of the fuel subsidy removal policy,” he said. Lawal urged the government to come clean with Nigerians about the true financial impact of its fuel pricing strategy, warning that concealing subsidy payments under other budget categories could worsen economic instability and erode public trust.
