Oyedele Talk Say 5% Fuel put in Surcharge Start for 2007, No Be Tinubu Government Bring Am

Chairman of di Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, Mr. Taiwo Oyedele, don talk say di 5% surcharge wey dem wan collect on top fuel no be President Bola Tinubu administration bring am come. Oyedele talk dis one on Tuesday. According to am, na since 2007 dem introduce di law, but dem no implement am because government that time dey subsidise fuel. “One very important message for people to know be say this surcharge no be dis government introduce am. Dem introduce am for 2007,” Oyedele talk. “And di reason why dem no implement am that time na because government dey subsidise fuel.” For the past few days, news about new 5% surcharge on top fuel don spread for ground. Many Nigerians don vex say di timing no good, especially as dem hear say e go start by January. Di surcharge mean say any litre of fuel wey person buy go come carry 5% extra charge, and dis don cause plenty backlash from citizens.

But Oyedele don clarify say di surcharge no even dey among di tax bills wey President Tinubu sign into law earlier dis year. “As we dey do this tax reform, dis surcharge no even dey inside di original proposal. No be say na President carry am go National Assembly. But as dem dey work on di bills, di matter come enter, and dem come decide say make we no get different agencies dey collect tax anyhow,” Oyedele explain. “Na di law wey set up this surcharge give Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) power to collect am: 40% go Federal Government roads, while 60% go to states. But like I talk, dem no implement am since then.” Oyedele still talk say e no get any confirmation say dem go start to implement di surcharge by January, as some people dey speculate. Since di news about di surcharge enter media, civil society groups and trade unions don kick against am. Dem dey tell Federal Government make dem cancel di plan. Trade Union Congress (TUC) even threaten say dem go go on strike if government no stop the plan, and di Organised Private Sector sef don reject am. But Oyedele believe say di surcharge go help Nigeria maintain better road infrastructure, and Nigerians go benefit from am for di long run.