THIS contraption called Nigeria was 44 some weeks back. It is a pity to note that 44 years after independence, to say we have not reached to the eldorado is an understatement but rather we have continued on a geometric slide towards nepotism, despotism, unpatriotism, poverty, corruption and anarchy. Suffice it to say that the 44 years have largely been wasted.
On the eve of our 44th independence anniverssary celebration the wise man whom INEC (not Nigerians) has saddled with the responsibility of steering the Nigerian ship to peace and prosperity, in his ‘wisdom’ decided to make us eat what the Americans call shit. This is a man who was on a one way ticket to the great beyond but for the pleas of Nigerians. And to think that this is our offence is frustrating to say the least.
Sentiments aside let us face the isues raised by the Government in jerking up the prices of petroleum products in the name of what I call regulated deregulation. The prevailing price of crude oil in the international market has been cited by the Government.
One thing is very clear that the people at the helm of affairs are either plain wicked or have a very low I.Q. level. Common sense dictates that for you to expose Nigerians to international forces of pricing, you also have to put in place international conditions like in other countries where “nothing” is subsidised (according to Government). Today in Nigeria, petroleum is like water which is indispensible because there is no alternative to road transportation, the power supply is epileptic so an increase in the price of this product inevitably causes increase in the cost of living and you know what that means. More people are bound to be pushed further below the poverty line. The roads, water supply administration, economy, employment, per capital income, social services and welfare should all be of international standards before subjecting us to the dictate of international oil pricing. I am very sure when these are in place. Nigerians will force Government to deregulate the downstream sector.
Cost of importation
Another issue is how do you deregulate when the cabal in charge of importation import from the common source, with the same landing cost? This Government should be patriotic for once. It does not take a first-class graduate of economics nor a world bank vice president to see that we are heading towards disaster. More people are going to be thrown into the unemployment market, industries are going to be closed because cost of production will be increased, the circle just goes on and on.
Government claims to love us more than ourselves that is why they are channelling the subsidy money into providing infrastructures, most of the mases, suffer for the corruption on Government and its parastatals. Government can not claim ignorance of what truely is wrong with its parastatals, employees, contractors e.t.c., but we know where the rot lies.
How does the Governmet explain that we now earn more so we should suffer. Some of the excess crude oil revenue can be used to subsidise peroleum until we have functional refineries. The effect of the over hundred Billion Naira taken from the excess crude account could have been felt more if it has gone into subsidy rather than financing some people.
Nigeria must rise up now. Enough is enough. We must stand up against his represions now; we have endured this despotic regime long enough if we refuse to wipe it now, we do not have any other place to run to, the Government officials can run away from Nigeria; some even have dual citizenship. Posterity will not forgive us if we refuse to take our destiny in our hands.
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