Farooq Kperogi, a Nigerian-American professor has expressed his opposition to the removal of subsidies in Nigeria, viewing it as elite banditry and reverse Robin Hoodism.
Kperogi criticized the influence of right-wing economic populism propagated by figures like Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Peter Obi, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Akinwumi Adesina, who promote the withdrawal of state support in favor of World Bank/IMF policies.
According to the author, media scholar, newspaper columnist, blogger and activist despite the prevailing support for subsidy removal among the Nigerian populace, its acceptance is a result of hegemonic ideas propagated by these neoliberal ideologues.
He shared a conversation with his uncle who suffers from the removal of petrol subsidies but praises the government for supposedly benefiting the masses by targeting greedy oil marketers. Kperogi highlighted the lack of awareness among people regarding the relationship between their suffering and subsidy removal.
Kperogi dismissed blaming the Tinubu-Shettima administration for subsidy removal, as it was already established by the departing Buhari administration, influenced by international lenders. He criticized the endorsement of heartlessness and anti-people policies as bold and beautiful, singling out Peter Obi and his supporters for their role in attacking subsidies and promoting the manufactured consensus.
The author also addressed the four main arguments put forward by subsidy removal ideologues: that it only benefits a few elites, that the saved funds can be allocated to education and infrastructure, that corruption necessitates removal, and that it prioritizes production over consumption. Kperogi argued that these arguments are flawed and hollow.
He highlighted the adverse consequences of subsidy removal on the Nigerian society, such as the skyrocketing cost of transportation, food, and basic goods, resulting in increased unemployment and the collapse of the informal economy. The author disputed the claim that subsidies only benefit the rich, pointing out that they provide relief across all social strata.
Kperogi referenced the World Bank’s acknowledgement that subsidy removal will push an additional 7.1 million Nigerians into poverty, preventing them from accessing education and healthcare. He criticized the oil marketers who profited from the subsidized stock and later raised prices arbitrarily, exacerbating the plight of Nigerians.
The author questioned why only petrol subsidy corruption is targeted for removal while other forms of corruption, such as mismanagement of refineries and governance, go unaddressed. He argued that corruption exists in every government project, including welfare programs in developed countries, but those governments focus on combating corruption rather than discontinuing assistance to the needy.
Kperogi asserted that the poor are being sacrificed while political elites continue to enjoy luxuries funded by subsidy removal proceeds. He criticized proponents of subsidy removal for failing to address the privileges and corruption of the rich and powerful. He concluded by stating that a society that starves and robs its poor to enrich the wealthy cannot expect progress or peace.