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Irresponsible increase in fuel price
Irresponsible increase in fuel price
CHIDI EGWUASI
ALTHOUGH the
general strike embarked upon by Nigerian workers over the irresponsible increase
in fuel price has been suspended following a court order and promised of
compliance by petroleum marketers, there is still the need to make some comments
on such ugly state of affairs.
Over the years, the increase in fuel price
has been a very contentious issue between the masses of this country and the
government. It has now become a recurring decimal in the economic policies of
the Obasanjo administration. Unfortunately, ours is a country where leaders do
not care to know how their actions and policies affect the masses. Increase in
fuel price has been going on for the past 19 years, beginning from the Babangida
administration to the present Obasanjo regime. However, the present
administration has now made it a permanent feature of its economic policy.
Unfortunately, there is virtually nothing
to show for the increase in the fuel price in terms of infrastructural and even
social development of this country since increases in fuel price became the
economic religion of the present Obasanjo administration.
One knows full well that the Obasanjo
administration does not mean well for the masses of this country. One still
remembers the question: "Who are the masses." We have recorded more than four
general strikes over the increases in fuel prices. Unfortunately, the government
remains adamant over the whole thing because most of our leaders are oil
merchants, one way or the other. Hence, they are out to protect their interests.
In short, the masses of this country are battling with entrenched vested
interests. One can call the attitudes of our leaders over this issue practical
despotism.
It is true that the recent increase in
prices by marketers this time round, however, is mere deceit. The voice, no
doubt, is that of Jacob while the hand is that of Esau. No matter what one says,
the Federal Government of Nigeria is behind the present increase in fuel price.
Remember the postulations of appropriate pricing by government agents? However,
decrease in price is inappropriate by their own calculations. Who is fooling
who? Is increase in the price of fuel the only viable economic policy this
administration understands?
Of course, we have to import fuel because
most of our refineries are not working. Most of them have been criminally
abandoned to collapse in order to enable our leaders and their cronnies import
fuel which they sell at exorbitant prices to the masses. It is a very big shame
that Nigeria is importing fuel from Cote D’Ivoire where our crude oil is being
refined because of the criminal neglect of our own refineries.
What can we say of a country that has four
refineries with a total refining capacity of 450,000 barrels of crude oil a day
going to refine our crude oil in Cote D’Ivoire only to import such refined
products at a very high price. What type of economic principle is that? Let us
face that fact, our government is practising voodoo economics, an economic
system that has no bearing with the practical realities of our situation. Every
excuse, both tenable and untenable, has been used to justify the increases in
fuel price. A one-time Information Minister even suggested that Nigerians should
resort to trekking as a means of beating the high price of petroleum products.
A peep into the history of fuel price
increases in this country will reveal that Nigeria has been, and is still, being
governed by a bunch of selfish, self-centred and irresponsible leaders who
believe very strongly that they know what is best for the country even where the
masses are openly sliding into the abyss of poverty. There is corruption in high
places. Government money is being stolen left, right and centre without anybody
being apprehended for such crime.
Good a thing, Nigeria has just had an oil
windfall of about N1.5 trillion. One wonders what the government wants to do
with such huge amount of money. Will it go the way the US$12 billion Gulf
windfall went? Such huge windfall should be used for social services rather than
putting Nigerians into untold hardship by increasing the price of fuel. We have
been increasing fuel prices from N3.25k per litre to the present outrageous
price of N51.60k per litre, an increase of 1,588 per cent over the years. What
is the percentage increase in wages since then. How then can we justify the
Central Bank of Nigeria’s inflationary statistics being churned out over the
years? This is because the Central Bank of Nigeria figures have never exceeded
two digits. Unfortunately, the government in her insensitive nature has
continued to carry on as if there is nothing wrong. Does the Obasanjo
administration understand what increase in fuel prices mean for the general
economic well-being of the masses of this country?
Let us take a hypothetical case as an
example. What would it mean for a garri seller who pays high cost of transport
to convey a bag of garri to Lagos or any other city from the producing area.
Assuming he used to pay N30 (Thirty Naira) to transport a bag of garri to Lagos
or any other city, how much would it now cost him to transport the same bag of
garri to the usual destination after the increase in fuel price. Of course, he
is a businessman who will only pass the increase in the price of such commodity
to the final consumer who may be an unemployed Nigerian or somebody on a fixed
salary. Besides, a journey that costs N350 (Three Hundred and Fifty) would now
cost about N600 (Six Hundred Naira), and even more considering the recent
percentage increase in fuel price.
A general look at the infrastructural
development of the country will prove to every discernible mind that there is no
basis whatsoever for the increase in the price of petroleum products in this
country. Let us be honest to ourselves. This is a government of IMF by IMF and
for IMF and not government of Nigerians by Nigerians and for Nigerians. Ours is
a government whose economic and social policies are based on World Bank and
International Monetary Fund prescriptions.
Labour should, as a matter of fact, start pro-acting
instead of re-acting to government’s policies. Labour should now insist that
Nigerian workers should be paid in Dollar parity and not just in Naira anymore.
It should also push for unemployment benefits as it is obtainable in other
countries that our government uses as yardsticks to measure the prices of fuel.
A situation where a university graduate has to engage in armed robbery or
prostitution in order to eke out a living does not augur well for the moral and
future well-being of Nigeria. Our government should at least make Nigeria
bearable for decent living.
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