Honourable Taofeek Buraimo is representing Remo Federal constituency in the House of Representatives on the ticket of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). In this interview with Dare Adekanmbi, he speaks on sundry national issues. Excerpts:President GoodluckJonathan and the stategovernors have agreed that subsidy be removed from petroleum products. Would you say the House of Representatives will tow this line'As far as Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) lawmakers are concerned, we are in support of our party's position, which is towards the retention of the fuel subsidy. However, I do share the view that we should listen to arguments about what is in the subsidy.There should be simplicity; people should be able to understand what is in there. We should be able to have simplified process for events in this country. What brought about subsidy was because our refineries were not working. The Federal Government should release to the public what it costs to ship crude to and from outside the country where it is refined and why is it N65 subsidised rate. If you remove subsidy, what will it cost to buy the products' How much is the subsidy to be removed and to what projects will it be channelled, so that people can actually verify these things themselves'If the Federal Government removes it and channels the money towards health and education, for instance, Nigerians should be able to see better equipment in the hospitals, better teaching aid and equipment in the schools. But if you are not open, then the people won't have any reason to trust you.The Federal government is the only authority that has all the facts and they should bring them out. Let Dr Ngozi Okojo-Iweala and the Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Mallam Lamido Sanusi come and talk to the public about how much is truly spent as subsidy. We cannot just sit down and say remove subsidy or do not remove it.If not for the high number of members from the opposition parties, especially from the ACN in the National Assembly that will not allow the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members the leverage to just say anything and get away with it, there is not going to be any discussion about whether subsidy should be removed because it will be easier for the president to do so.What is your take on the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) about which there has also been controversy'It is a good idea coming up at the bad time. It is a good idea and very good; just like when we were very little and were saving money in a local bank called kolo for the future. But at the end of the day, what happens' Your parents will break your kolo and they will spend your money and this is what is happening here. If we save for the future, the executive will, at the end of the day, break into that money and spend it.We look at that and say there is no future when you do not have today. Let's spend the money we have now to build today so we can build a better future for the next generation. It is only when the people of today live till tomorrow that they will benefit from the money you are saving for tomorrow. So, it makes no sense. Whose idea is it' Okonjo-Iweala or Sanusi' These people like to talk and do not have any fact about what they are saying. They thought because of their level of education and exposure, they can cajole Nigerians of today. They are being unfortunate because this time around, there are more enlightened Nigerians.We will challenge every step these people take. In fact, I like to challenge Sanusi, one-to-one, and ask him to tell Nigerians what his policy towards the middle class Nigerians in the banking sector is. There is no how you can build a nation without a middle class. Sanusi has been a failure. The CBN governor already said to members of the sixth National Assembly that they were the ones killing the economy through the jumbo. But thank God, there is no more jumbo pay and Sanusi should tell Nigerians what his own running cost is. That man is spending several millions of Nigerian money on a quarterly basis and the amount is not being disclosed.So, who is actually killing the economy of this country between the CBN governor and his directors or the National Assembly'How did you receive the news of your recent victory at the tribunal in Abeokuta'Well, there is no how failure will come my way by the grace of God. I knew that, because I didn't come into politics and win an election because I have the power to win. I became a candidate because I knew there is always the grace of God for me and I knew this is the time. And also there is no how I will fail since I have the love of the people at heart. I want to serve the people of Remoland. The tribunal is a process and it has come to past. The people of Remo will now enjoy and be better represented.
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