Fuel Subsidy Saga in Nigeria

The topic was hot and timely; news on television, radio, online, group discussions were all centered on the same topic – fuel subsidy removal. Some groups’ discussion resulted to fighting because some are for the subsidy removal and supports the president while the others are against the subsidy and wants the president removed. The removal of subsidy on fuel as announced by PPPRA on the 1st of January, 2012 was a big surprise to so many Nigerians. It immediately increased the price of fuel from N65 to N140.

The poor are crying because poverty has eaten deep into our bones and we are use to managing ourselves. In fact, the poor people in Nigeria are all managers, each day the hairs on our head fall off because of hunger. We no longer care about looking good, we don’t talk about balanced diet but eat what is available to quench hunger for the moment. We don’t go for new cloth but mend the old ones even when we have overgrown them. In our suit and white grown, we rush into the long tatted buses and would not mind to stand even by the door just to get to our destination.

As I watched the protest on the television screen, tens of thousands of people were on the street protesting for a reduction in the increased fuel price. Some groups were already in uniform with different captions, some carrying placards and singing varieties of songs against the president. Nigerians in Diaspora also has organized rallies in solidarity with the ongoing struggle in Nigeria against austerity measures imposed by the government.

For many Civil Society Organizations, this was an opportunity to fight corruption in Nigeria. I will join in the crowd and give out my voice to fight corruption in Nigeria but for subsidy i will not because the government has their means of extorting the people. If i fight against subsidy removal today, tomorrow a policy will be released, well baked and decorated that will suit them to make money from the people. If I succeed today in fighting corruption then my children will have a fulfilling life to live tomorrow.

why should a country that has been blessed with natural resource like petrol say that all the refineries are in bad condition, that is no maintenance, why should Nigeria be importing fuel in the first place, we are supposed to be exporting to others. What are the regulatory bodies in charge doing to reform the sector. For donkey years, anything was just acceptable in the energy sector as it is known, but today, Nigerians are callings for probing of the secret persons behind the corruption in the sector. i percieve a positive result if those at the front do not compromise, for that is the most common disease contracted working for or against government. even the president is afraid of the cabals who are behind the scene but CSOs are fighting to have their names released to them.

i just want to give the president a benefit of doubt to utilize the N1.3 trillion withdraw from subsidy to act as soon as possible. We need a new Nigeria, a better living condition and to enjoy our fatherland. Let the money be distributed to improve healthcare, build our roads to reduce traffic,traffic in some part of Lagos is worse than hell, reform our power sector. we are tired of generator noise and it pollution. we need more girls and boys returned to school instead of hawking on the streets.

A new Nigeria is very much possible if corruption can be probe.