It will be conscionable on the part of everyone of us, the left wing and the right wing to acknowledge the fact that Nigeria’s singular problem is corruption. This is the sole attitude driving every leader who had had the opportunity to pilot the affairs of this nation. There is nothing difficult in making difficult decisions that can truly help this nation except that, with such genuine tough and difficult decisions, it will be difficult for those who eat from the table of corruption to continue to do so. They can’t cook a decent meal for the nation because they eat from the crumbs of corruption.
If we can probe and prosecute our problems and do a deeper diagnosis, the findings will not contradict everyone’s suspicion - corruption is the chief culprit stealing our commonwealth. Unless we go “gaga” in the fight against corruption, we may never be able to have a nation of our dreams.
Our current travail is not beyond realistic and scientific solutions. What is however obvious is that there have been a lot of compromises and financial irregularities from the side of government. Let’s say it the way it is. There has been little to know and to see as far as financial transparency is concerned. Too much complicated, complex and unnecessary political play. Too much focus on politics than governance. It is counterproductive to focus on political maneuvering for personal gains than good governance. That in itself breeds corruption.
Too much wisdom of the sage is already hurting the sage (ogbon agbonju oti pa ologbon ni ara).
Undeniably, corruption has been having its ways in the whole of this. What we can all see in the management of the oil sector by the NNPCL and everyone involved is systemic corruption. It has become occultic kind of. That type of corruption that makes every political office holder, privileged public servants, even the micro units officials push out their claws to scratch a flesh from our resources, natural and financial. It is disturbing, shocking, frustrating and disgusting. You there not come to offer a better way out for service delivery if you don’t belong to the cartel. They can even run down a national asset just to continue to feast on our natural resources. It is a brutal attack against the economic prosperity of the nation.
Coming from a despondent journey to an optimistic front, we really hoped for something better. Why is it so difficult to do things that will bring comfort to everyone. Is good quality of life a chattel for the highest bidder to procure? Is good governance a mirage? It should not be of course.
At the end of the day, everybody will share from this bile of the consequences of the breach of people’s trust. Nigerians trusted and expected so much, so little we are getting. A very important department of government is outsourcing fuel supply when local refineries cannot “breathe”. How else do you define sabotage if not criminality?
It has been argued several times by very many knowledgeable people that subsidy regime was a scam and still a scam. The consensus for its removal was not out of place. But the management of the aftermath is of key importance. This is where we are failing currently. We are not failing because we don’t know what to do, we are failing because certain elements just want to exploit the opportunity to favour themselves against the common interest of Nigerians. It is a shift of gear stick with accelerated desperation to cash out. Nigeria and Nigerians become the victims.
Removing subsidy from fuel should have been backed by incentivisation of local refineries. This would have put a final end to fuel importation, stabilize the fuel price to a realistic and non exploitative range, make petroleum products abundantly available, bringing down the fuel price and by extension reducing the general inflation in the country. It is frustrating how this is not the priority of the government. More disappointing the politics being played around crude oil supply and distribution to local refineries. Please, what is difficult in doing the right thing that will naturally assuage the tension that breeds the thoughts of protest in the first place?
While the hope of the Nigerian people was hanging in the taking off of local refineries to bring the much expected relief, sadly, we heard of secret back door payment of subsidy to whoever to import fuel from a certain Malta country to the tune of over two billion dollars. Ironically, even while this subsidy was being secretly paid as we later found out, such payment did not reflect in price change on what we buy in litres as though there was no subsidy. We bought and still buying at higher price. What then is the difference of subsidy payments in the pump price? Who is lying to who? Definitely, something is not right there. This is the breach of trust we are talking about.
Anything that surrounds the importation of fuel from Malta, secret payment of subsidy to any importer bringing in this fuel from Malta or any other country after the public announcement of the removal of subsidy, done in such secrecy until blown open by a third party is utmost breach of trust by the government. It is rather unfortunate and disappointing.
A lot of opinions are flying around to oppose or defend what. As far as the petroleum industry is concerned and as far as the management is concerned, there is nothing that is difficult in making the product available at realistic local price than corruption. Dangote is not the only existing refinery, there are several other modular refineries. Why are we not making crude oil available to them as to produce fuel? We can bring down the fuel price by encouraging massive local production. The anxiety that motivated the public agitation will automatically disappear immediately.
This is the truth that we must tell ourselves. The hands of systemic corruption holding our country by the jugular must be removed. We must go on reset mode if we truly want this helpless nation to thrive. This is the cry from the people who just want to live in peace and comfort in their own country. Do we not deserve that comfortable life as citizens?
It is not too late to do the right thing. Give a probable or specific period of relief to the people. Assure them when the refineries will start to function and deliver on those assurances.
Remove the obstacles mitigating against effective take off of the private refineries. Speed up the rehabilitation of government refineries to start production immediately. Reduce the cost of governance and be financially discipline and prudent. Stop and criminalize the importation of fuel. Revoke all fuel importation licenses. Encourage, motivate exports, and discourage the importation of foreign cars and other tools that can be sourced locally. Encourage massive mechanized agriculture and provide incentives. Strengthen the Naira by removing reliance on foreign currency usage. Appoint the right people into positions to get the job done the right way. Strictly enforce the law that bans the use of foreign currency in all local financial transactions. Genuinely fight corruption to standstill and be more transparent in all government dealings. Only then would the people feel the true hope of good governance.
GOD IS HERE
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