The Obidient Movement has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s proposed five per cent surcharge on fuel, warning that it would further impoverish Nigerians already burdened by economic hardship.
The reaction followed an announcement by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, who explained that the levy is part of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform agenda aimed at improving road infrastructure and cutting logistics costs.
In a statement on Tuesday, signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the Obidient Movement criticized the proposal, stressing that similar levies in the past had failed to deliver meaningful results.
“For decades, Nigerians have been fed the same promises: new levies will ‘fix our roads,’ ‘power our hospitals,’ and ‘transform our economy.’ Instead, trillions vanish into the pockets of corrupt elites while our highways crumble, transport costs skyrocket, and ordinary Nigerians are pushed deeper into poverty,” the group said.
Tanko emphasized that fueling is a necessity in Nigeria, not a luxury, and warned that the surcharge would disproportionately punish the poor and vulnerable.
He urged the government to instead broaden the tax base, introduce progressive taxes on luxury consumption, and cut wasteful spending.
“The Obidient Movement insists that no new fuel taxes should be imposed until there are credible, transparent mechanisms to ensure accountability, anti-corruption safeguards, and real relief for suffering citizens. We want good roads, reliable infrastructure, and a strong economy. But these goals must not be pursued on the backs of already impoverished Nigerians,” the statement concluded.
Obidient Movement Rejects 5% Fuel Surcharge, Calls It “Instrument of Oppression”
The Obidient Movement has strongly opposed the Federal Government’s proposed five per cent surcharge on fuel, warning that it would further impoverish Nigerians already burdened by economic hardship.
The reaction followed an announcement by Taiwo Oyedele, Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms, who explained that the levy is part of President Bola Tinubu’s tax reform agenda aimed at improving road infrastructure and cutting logistics costs.
In a statement on Tuesday, signed by its National Coordinator, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, the Obidient Movement criticized the proposal, stressing that similar levies in the past had failed to deliver meaningful results.
“For decades, Nigerians have been fed the same promises: new levies will ‘fix our roads,’ ‘power our hospitals,’ and ‘transform our economy.’ Instead, trillions vanish into the pockets of corrupt elites while our highways crumble, transport costs skyrocket, and ordinary Nigerians are pushed deeper into poverty,” the group said.
Tanko emphasized that fueling is a necessity in Nigeria, not a luxury, and warned that the surcharge would disproportionately punish the poor and vulnerable.
He urged the government to instead broaden the tax base, introduce progressive taxes on luxury consumption, and cut wasteful spending.
“The Obidient Movement insists that no new fuel taxes should be imposed until there are credible, transparent mechanisms to ensure accountability, anti-corruption safeguards, and real relief for suffering citizens. We want good roads, reliable infrastructure, and a strong economy. But these goals must not be pursued on the backs of already impoverished Nigerians,” the statement concluded.
