Yakubu Dogara, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, has asked President Bola Tinubu to go after “subsidy cabal” and recover all the money they stashed in foreign banks.
Dogara commended the steps so far taken by Tinubu since he assumed office on May 29, describing the President’s actions as a departure from the past.
Dogara spoke in an interview with journalists shortly after a Thanksgiving service by Yunusa Nmadu, the immediate past general secretary of the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA), on Sunday at ECWA,
Lemu Road, Tudun Wada, Kaduna.
He said Tinubu has made “fantastic decisions” and should be supported whether anyone voted for him or not.
Dogora who was responding to questions on the appointments of service chiefs and the removal of fuel subsidy, said if the President will resist those forces that had always made it difficult for presidents to succeed, he will succeed.
“As a matter of fact, so far so good, the steps that have been taken, whether you supported the President or you didn’t vote for him, I think, he is doing very well, he is showing leadership in terms of appointments”, the former speaker said.
He said, “I have always want a situation whereby we can prioritise competence above loyalty and he seems to be that.
“That is a clear departure from the past. If he sticks to it, it is not the beginning but the end that matters.”
Dogara said further that if the President “is able to hold fort and resist those forces that have always made it difficult for presidents to succeed, I think he will succeed.”
He declared total support for the removal of fuel subsidy and commended the President for being courageous enough.
Dogara said, “I have twitted about removal of fuel subsidy, I support it 100 per cent because if care is not taken, the government will run into a situation whereby the government cannot even pay salaries and render basic services.
“I know that it has brought a lot of pains to our people. I have urged the President and his administration to do all within their power to recover the money from some of these subsidy cabals who have stashed this money in foreign banks, so that the money they had taken, running into trillions, that were illegally collected, can now plough back into resolving some of the problems created by the subsidy withdrawal.
“So it was a fantastic decision, we stand by him on this one. Like I said before, whether you support him or not, this is what is truthful, this is what we ought to have done since yesterday (in the past).
“I thank him for being courageous enough to that and he should show that courage by pursuing these subsidy cabals, they said they are strong, they are not stronger than Nigeria. Nigeria has a standing army, EFCC, police, Navy, these people don’t have any of those institutions.
“They should go after them and recover our money.”
