BY Anayo Okoli
Umuahia—ANGLICAN Bishop of Amichi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Ephraim Ikeakor, has called on President Goodluck Jonathan to suspend the planned removal of fuel subsidy, warning that the move was a time bomb waiting to explode.

He said the timing for the planned removal was very wrong, more so when there were  no serious palliatives on ground to assuage the suffering of the people.

Ikeakor, who spoke at the Cathedral Church of St. Andrew Amichi, in Nnewi South Local Government Area of Anambra State, during the “Working Bible Competition” of the Diocese, reminded President Jonathan that removing fuel subsidy was not one of the promises he made to Nigerians when he toured the country to canvass for votes.

He said:  “In Nigeria we do not create the enabling environment before we bring in new policies. Fuel subsidy should be removed when certain measures have been put in place to cushion the effects.

“The country cannot boast of functional refineries and you want to remove fuel subsidy. We have great problems of insecurity, terrible dilapidation of our infrastructures, collapse of education industry, teachers and civil servants not properly remunerated and the N18, 000 minimum wage has not been paid, yet some people want to remove fuel subsidy.

“The timing for removing fuel subsidy is very wrong. We have a lot of unresolved problems, removing it is a time bomb that is waiting to explode. It is like opening up a can of worms that will hit the country very badly.

“So my advice to the Federal Government is to suspend that plan now, let us handle the nitty-gritty of education, insecurity and infrastructural decay, after that, we sit down and talk whether to have it or remove it.”

The Bishop berated those advising the President to remove the subsidy, saying they were enemies of the masses.

“What orientation have they done to educate the poor masses who will bear the brunt, if you depend on your clique of so called advisers, know that they have advised you from the parochial point of view?

“They are staying there in Abuja living flamboyantly and the poor masses are suffering, yet they want to add to their suffering. Mr. President, no removal of fuel subsidy for now, it will be counter productive and do more harm than good”, Bishop Ikeakor urged the President,” he said.