President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has carpeted the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, over the latter’s stance on restoring the fuel subsidy regime scrapped three years ago by the incumbent administration.
Speaking when he met with Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, President Tinubu, who paid him a visit at the State House, in a veiled reference to Atiku’s declaration, derided him as ignorant of governance and the economy.
Tinubu recalled that under the subsidy regime, governors were unable to pay salaries and meet other expectations of the people as they were always financially insolvent.
He equally made an allusion to an old political ally, a former Osun State governor and incumbent national secretary of the ADC, Rauf Aregbesola, whom Tinubu also recalled paid half salaries to workers during his tenure.
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He expressed delight that the removal of the subsidy has since changed the financial status of states for good.
He said: “Let’s look at the trajectory of the history. I saw one of my opponents now say he will go back to subsidy. I read it.
“That is demonstration of a serious ignorance on governance and economy. “Before I came here, 27 states are unable to pay salaries, not to even talk of pensioners, salary of workers. In your state, I know a man that I raised who is nicknamed half salary.
“They came to the federal, cap in hand, unable to do anything. They were at the local governments.
They were in the states.”