|
New Page 2
Fuel price increase: The home truths
jenny yisa
ONE
thing is apparent in the country today: Nigerians’ penchant for viewing
activities of the government with suspicion. Recently, the judgement that
outlawed the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) by the Federal Court of Appeal is
interpreted as a grand design by the government to provide a durable answer to
the Labour question. Coming on the heels of this is the recent increase in the
prices of petroleum products. It will be difficult to explain that the
simultaneity was a mere coincidence. To Nigerians, the court judgement was
orchestrated to allow the government increase prices without challenges. But to
any person who cares to know and understand, the increase is in response to
global trends as it relates to the burgeoning prices of crude oil in
international market.
In most articles on the above subject,
expectedly Mr. President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, is presented as an ogre who
enjoys seeing those he governs go through suffering sand hardship through the
unrestrained increases in prices of petroleum products. Those who, ab initio,
have been against his government see this as an opportunity to incite the
masses of Nigeria against him in the hope that his government will be brought
down. But more than being propelled by mischief, the increase calls for mature
appraisal.
Most analysts rest their argument on the
reason that the problems in the fuel sector were solely caused by the
government. The submission has always been; if not for the importation, the
prices of petroleum would have been within the affordability of Nigerians.
Others believe that fixing the refineries or building new ones do not receive
government attention because some powerful men in government actually make a lot
of money through fuel import which they do themselves or through their cronies.
The other day, there was the issue of vessels arrested for bunkering. If a
proper investigation is done, we shall discover that those behind that are
either agents or friends of some scrupulous men in power.
In cases such as this, argument do not
help so much, especially when one argues based on hearsay and when he has not
taken time to understand the concourse of circumstances surrounding any nagging
issue being discussed. What helps is honest appraisal and disposition to offer
one’s genuine suggestions on the way forward. This, I image, should be the
preoccupation of patriots, those who genuinely are interested in the country
moving on. To see the solution in strikes and rioting is to demand the taming of
anarchic impulse.
In truth, among the campaign’s promises of
Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999 was that the man (himself) who built the
refineries should be voted back for him, once again, to fix those refineries
back. But Obasanjo in his 6th year as the President has not quite succeeded.
Flowing from this, some Nigerians who criticise him are morally justified.
Obasanjo should wholly accept that he has failed in this regard. What I expect
him to do is to explain to Nigerians, through his aides, the reasons for this
apparent failure. Even Hercules, while alive, was not able to bring all his
words to fulfilment. The current increase which is being vehemently opposed is
another opportunity for government through its agencies such as National
Orientation Agency (NOA) to engage in massive orientation of the masses to the
real issues in petroleum industry.
Obasanjo made most of the promises he made
during electioneering campaign in 1999, because as an outsider in government
then, he was not completely in touch with the dynamics of the government. There
were some entrenched problems he saw like any other Nigerian, and thought that
those problems would be solved by the wielding of the presidential fiat. Take
the issue of refineries, he probably thought that bringing out money would solve
their problems and, pron- to, the refineries would be repaired. The reality is
that the refineries are old and repairing them when their technology is almost
phased out is not as simple as anyone thinks.
A clear case of the foregoing was the
petroleum issue. Sooner than he became the president, he noticed that the
problems in the petroleum sector were caused by so many years of planlessness
and ineffective leadership in that sector. That was one of the reasons why he
quickly brought the control of the Petroleum Ministry under himself. This is a
demonstration that he is as concerned as the man next door. Since his
administration, the issue of fuel has unarguably occupied most of his time.
Knowing the views of average Nigerians
about government corporations and knowing the rot attendant with the management
of these corporations, he intensified the nation’s efforts to privatize. Just
recently, Daily Times was privatised and bought by Folio Communications
Ltd. Wait and see what will happen in few years time, the new buyers will
resuscitate the place and put it on its feet again. Even if the same management
handling it now were contracted to do so while still in the hands of government,
they, like its predecessors, may not achieve much.
It is against the above background and
understanding of Nigerian’s psyche that Obasanjo has refused to go into the
building of refineries, hence the issue of deregulation: The empowering of the
private sector to take over the business of supply of fuel to Nigerians. Since
this policy began, the persistent scarcity of the product has stopped. It is
unfortunate that prices were recently increased because of the prevailing
international pricing of the products, which, due to dysfunctional refineries,
are imported into the country. Because of this, Nigerians are demanding for the
appraisal of deregulation. They are right, self-survival says that one is
attracted to that, or state affairs that make life tolerable for him. But to
give in to this clamour is to demonstrate the fact that the sun or moon should
be plucked down because some people worship them. If you do, what of other
benefits derivable from the sun as the main component of photosynthesis?
The temporarily hike in the prices of
petroleum is not enough to make Nigerians lose sight of the numerous benefits we
have started enjoying from the programme. What this teaches is that reforms
demand a great deal of patience and understanding. Certainly, you have to work
in other to enjoy the fruits of your labour. In the midst of all these, let us
be comforted that the increase is just a passing phase. Surely, when prices of
crude oil stabilizes in international market domestic prices will also come
down. To demand that prices be forced down immediately is to scare marketers out
of business, this, ipso facto, will be an invitation to scarcity, long
queues, and man-hour being lost to fuel and its headaches.
•Yisa lives in Doko, Niger State.
|
