Fuel Subsidy: For The Greater Good?

Its no longer news that the Nigeria Federal Governments Subsidy on Petrol has been removed. What's news is the citizens reality of its removal, their actions, rants nd jokes emanating form the removal.

Forgive me for my lack of manners but the issue at hand is one that can 'make' or 'break' a nation. Just like in Libya, it all started with a tweet but I wonder if Nigerians are brave enough to tread the part of Libya.

By this, I don't mean Nigerians are cowards, but somehow, Nigerians have been groomed to believe in the saying 'when there is life, there is hope' and knowing that a protest might end up like that of "Lekki toll-gate" or more still, turn out to be just like every other protest which at the end of the day, the government will employ dialogue with no result to show for it while we all go home and comply.


Two days ago, Nigerians on twitter tweeted away their anger accusing the government of neglect of the masses and asking for a re-instalment of the already removed subsidy which in my own view, I believe has come to stay and all we need is to learn how to live with it.

Yes! My view on the subsidy is basically what we call "the Nigeria spirit". The spirit of 'e go better' and the will to excel even in the face of hardship.

Its normal for Nigerians to complain about every move of the government and then go ahead to comply with it. Thanks to the military regimes that have taught us well and made the Nigeria Spirit, the spirit of "Complain and Comply".

Its also necessary that the government remove the subsidy but not until some things are in place. This simply means that its removal is a good thing done at the wrong time.

I still find it hard to comprehend the fact that our refineries cannot work all because its being handled by the government. I mean, if a government cannot make a thing work in its territory, then who can??

Its sad that in this age and time, we still live in the dark even with power plants all over the place

Its even more sad to know that a good percentage of the Nigeria youth are jobless with our government doing noting about it.

How about the millions of students who seek university admission every year?

Now the cost of petrol is high which has/will have a multiplier effect on all other things except minimum wage *sighs*

The cost of attending a state university in lagos is now much more expensive than attending some private universities who will provide a more conducive, violent free and 'strike-less' environment compared with the state university.

I can go on and write a whole textbook on this issue but I won't. I will rather use this medium to talk to my fellow Nigerians who are always willing to hear their people cos if they don't, who will? Huh? Did you just say the clueless government who can't even find their voice or set their priorities right?

Do you mean the government that did the right thing the wrong way at the wrong time? Or the government that wanted to negotiate with terrorist yet deemed it fit to shoot, kill and arrest peaceful protesters?

We all know that the GEJ administration has failed us. They deemed it fit to 'dialogue' with the faceless group called 'Boko Haram' who are bent on killing innocent citizens, especially the christians, yet they felt it was necessary to put the whole country into hardship just because of their incompetent and corrupt nature that they couldn't ensure that the fuel subsidy is being used correctly and appropriately.

Last year, when the members of the sect 'Boko Haram' carried out a 'successful' operation in the police headquarters at Abuja (the Federal Capital Territory), our President said "nobody is safe, not even the president". I wonder if the then president of the United States, George Bush had said same statement after the September 11 attack on the twin-towers, if he would still remain the president the next day and more still, if the United States would have remained the same and recovered from the attack.

Recently, after the Christmas day bombings, he, our president said 'bomb blast are a burden we must live with'. *sighs* My 4 year old nephew will never make this statement and even the sect 'boko haram' knows that no one can learn how to live with bomb blast.

Yesterday, people took to the streets in various states all in the name of #OccupyNigeria and reportedly, the activities on ikorodu road didn't seem too peaceful at all as road blocks were mounted with burning tires and things, thereby bringing the road use to a halt at the expense of their fellow Nigerians. Is that what the protest is all about??

In 1993 during Babangida's regime, something similar happened, IBB had to run for his life and if care is not taken, Jonathan will be forced to do same.

My fellow Nigerians, Fuel Subsidy removal is not something we should be fighting for, even though the government have done the right thing at the wrong time. Rather, we should fight for good governance which has long been overdue but subsidy removal is sure a good way to start and I hope it won't just end on the subsidy alone, we also need a government that can and will provide absolute security for its people and bring the activities of the sect, Boko Haram' to a halt.

We 'Nigerians' need a government that will do the will of the people, a government that will provide basic infrastructures and social amenities for the citizens. A government that will provide jobs and adequate security for the average Nigerians. The government who loves his people more than their bank account, the government who will rather take from the minority (the politicians) by reducing their security votes, sitting allowance, feeding allowance and all other allowances, than increasing the hardship faced by the majority (the masses) through the removal of fuel subsidy. The government who is fast in acting in the interest of its citizens and FOR THE GREATER GOOD. Such government is the government of the people, for the people and by the people and not the kind we operate in Nigeria.

DonJazzy tweeted about his disappointment in the government yesterday but OBJ also did same when Yar'adua was sick by telling the press that he (Yar'adua) should resign if he can't carry on. One question we should ask ourselves is 'are these people not same set of people that helped them out? Was it not DonJazzy that posed with pictures he took with GEJ while supporting him? If these questions are true, then how come he was able to see the big picture with him then but has now failed to see that same picture just few months down the lane?

We are not there yet but we have all gotten the picture, my main concern now is if we will ever get there even with the big picture cos any seat in the 'government' is a seat made up of money and with that, corruption is a means of getting there and maintaining the seat which is being eye'd by most citizens, even the activist. (Oshiomole knows this).

Talking about Oshiomole, he supported the removal of the subsidy. Its no surprise though cos they say 'when you're in Rome, you behave like a Roman'. He is in government now, he's got to behave like a politician but if it was then, when he was the NLC president, he would have taken to the streets with songs of solidarity.

Every morning, I wake up with the 2nd stanza of the national anthem in my mouth and one thing I pray for is that 'God should guide our leaders right and HELP OUR YOUTH THE TRUTH TO KNOW!

HaPpY New Year peeps!
#GodBlessNigeria