"Subsidy Removal Brought Only Poverty, Hunger, Insecurity" – Ex-Minister Dalung Blasts Tinubu's Signature Policy

In a scathing critique, former Minister of Sports Solomon Dalung has declared that the Bola Tinubu administration's removal of the petrol subsidy has failed, delivering nothing but "poverty, hunger, inflation, and insecurity" to Nigerians, with no tangible benefits to show for the policy nearly three years after its dramatic announcement.

Dalung, a prominent voice within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), made the explosive remarks during an interview on Channels Television's *Sunrise Daily* on Thursday, challenging the official narrative that the policy was a necessary economic rescue mission.

A Policy of "Individual" Decision, Not Government

The former minister launched his criticism by questioning the very process that birthed the policy. On May 29, 2023, during his swearing-in ceremony, President Tinubu famously declared, **"subsidy is gone."** The policy triggered an immediate and sharp increase in the pump price of petrol, which has remained high.

Dalung argued that this decision was made improperly, without the necessary governmental framework. "It was done in a manner that demonstrated again that the President at that time did not fully understand the workings of government and the complex nature of the country called Nigeria," Dalung stated. He contended that with only the President and Vice President sworn in, there was no "proper government" with a cabinet and advisers to consult on such a monumental decision. "An individual just expressed it, and Nigerians swallowed it with the hope that something good would come out of it. Many years later, nothing has come out of it," he concluded.

A Failure to Account for "Huge Revenues"

Moving beyond the process, Dalung challenged the outcome, directly disputing the government's claim that the freed-up funds have been prudently managed and shared with states to improve lives.

He claimed the Tinubu administration has failed to account for the vast revenues generated from the subsidy removal. **"Since we have withdrawn the entire subsidy, Nigerians should have been living better than the people in Dubai, considering the huge revenues that flowed into the government,"** Dalung asserted. He implied that the expected windfall has not translated into visible improvements in public infrastructure, social services, or the cost of living for ordinary citizens.

Escalating his attack, Dalung made a striking financial allegation: "The borrowings of the Tinubu government since 2023 have doubled what President Muhammadu Buhari borrowed over his eight-year tenure." This claim, if substantiated, would present a severe challenge to the government's narrative of fiscal responsibility and using saved subsidy funds to reduce dependence on debt.

A Direct Challenge from Within

President Tinubu and his aides have consistently defended the subsidy removal as a painful but essential surgery to save the economy from "total collapse," arguing it ended a decades-long drain on national resources. However, Dalung's critique represents a significant internal challenge from a party stalwart, giving voice to the widespread frustration felt by millions of Nigerians grappling with soaring costs.

By framing the policy as a rash, unilateral act that has yielded only negative socio-economic consequences, Dalung's interview has reignited a fierce national debate. It puts intense pressure on the administration to provide a more convincing public account of exactly how the "saved" subsidy funds have been spent to alleviate the very hardships the policy exacerbated.