Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has challenged President Bola Tinubu to account for the funds generated since the removal of the petrol subsidy, following a renewed threat of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
He made the remarks in a statement issued on Sunday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
The statement followed ASUU’s renewed concerns over outstanding government obligations and unresolved agreements, raising the prospect of another disruption to the academic calendar of Nigeria’s public universities.
Atiku argued that the government could no longer ask Nigerians to endure the economic consequences of subsidy removal while universities continued to struggle with inadequate funding, poor infrastructure and unresolved labour disputes.
“Subsidy removal was presented to Nigerians as a painful but necessary reform that would free resources for critical sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure and social welfare,” he said.
“If the subsidy is gone and Nigerians have paid for that decision through unprecedented hardship, then President Tinubu owes the country a simple answer: where is the money?”
Atiku, who was the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), accused the administration of failing to deliver the benefits it promised Nigerians in exchange for the sacrifices imposed by the reform.
“The house of cards of falsehoods erected by the Tinubu administration to justify the suffering of Nigerians is collapsing before our eyes,” he said.
Atiku questions increased allocations
The former vice-president also questioned why improved government revenues and higher allocations to states had not resulted in better public education.
“If substantially more money is supposedly flowing to the states, why has the condition of public education not improved accordingly?” he asked.
He called on the Federal Government to provide a detailed account of the resources generated since the subsidy was abolished and explain how the funds had been spent.
“A government cannot keep taking from the people, returning excuses and loans, and calling for reform,” Atiku said.
He added: “Tinubu removed subsidy from the people, but he has not removed the threat of ASUU strikes. He has not resolved the crisis of unpaid obligations. He has not sufficiently expanded our universities. He has not made education more affordable.”
Atiku also accused the administration of applying different standards to ordinary Nigerians and influential interests, alleging that concessions and privileges were available to powerful groups while workers, students and families were expected to bear the cost of economic reforms.
“The poor are told there is no money for subsidy. Students are told to borrow. Lecturers are told to wait. Parents are told to endure,” he said.
“But when powerful and well-connected interests come knocking, the government always appears capable of finding concessions, waivers and privileges.”
Universities face funding and infrastructure challenges
Atiku said the challenges facing public universities extended beyond federal institutions, noting that several state-owned universities had also experienced industrial disputes and disruptions.
He argued that the situation raised questions about the management of increased public revenues and whether Nigeria’s education system was being adequately expanded to accommodate its growing youth population.
“You cannot boast about record allocations while students sit at home because lecturers are on strike.
“You cannot celebrate higher revenues when classrooms, laboratories, hostels and teaching facilities remain inadequate,” he said.
Atiku also criticised the rising cost of education and living expenses following the removal of the subsidy, saying the burden had made university education increasingly difficult for many families to afford.
“This government removed subsidy, increased the cost of transportation, food and virtually every other necessity, and watched the cost of university education rise beyond the reach of many families,” he said.
He further criticised the government’s student loan scheme, arguing that the policy placed additional financial obligations on young Nigerians who were already struggling with higher living costs.
“After helping to make education more expensive, the same government created NELFUND and now celebrates giving young Nigerians loans to pay fees that many of their parents can no longer comfortably afford,” he said.
“That is not progress. It is a vicious circle of government-manufactured poverty.”
Atiku also questioned whether universities were being expanded quickly enough to accommodate the increasing number of young Nigerians seeking admission.
“Where are the new classrooms? Where are the laboratories? Where are the hostels? Where are the additional teaching facilities and expanded admission spaces required for Nigeria’s growing youth population?” he asked.
Subsidy removal remains contentious
The Federal Government removed the petrol subsidy shortly after President Tinubu took office on 29 May 2023, arguing that the policy had become financially unsustainable and that resources previously used to subsidise petrol could be redirected to development.
The decision led to a sharp increase in petrol prices and contributed to higher transport and living costs. Federal and state governments have subsequently highlighted increased statutory allocations linked to higher public revenues.
ASUU’s latest concerns have nevertheless revived longstanding questions over the funding of Nigeria’s public universities, lecturers’ welfare and the implementation of agreements reached between the union and successive governments.
