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One of the issues agitating the minds of Nigerians is the proposed subsidy removal from prices of petroleum products in Nigeria by the Federal Government come January, 2012.
Opinion molders, civil society organisations, traditional councils, student movements, labour unions, artisans, farmers and Non-Governmental Organisations, had expressed their views on the fuel subsidy removal proposal of the Federal Government.
So far, only about eight percent of the opinion builders supported the proposal.
These supporters, according to findings, are the kins of the Federal Government, who are disbursing billions of naira to compromise and silent the voices opposing the removal of subsidy from petroleum products.
The reason behind the subsidy removal, according to the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, is to save the country from bankruptcy, as the funds being currently spent in subsidizing the petroleum products seem too huge.
According to her, in a couple of years, Nigeria would be short of funds, should the Federal Government continue the fuel subsidy.
Okonjo-Iweala also claimed that the subsidy is going into the wrong hands, adding that some cartels in the oil business are the ones enjoying the subsidy.
With these excuses and others, she resurrected the call for the removal of subsidy on petroleum products.
Federal Government claims to be subsidizing petroleum products, yet Nigerians are buying a litre of petrol at the rate of N65, kerosene is being sold for N90, N100 and N120 per litre at filling stations.
Nigeria is the sixth largest oil-producing state among the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
Ironically, the self-acclaimed Giant of Africa is the only country still depending on importation of petroleum products to meet her domestic needs.
The prices of petroleum products in Nigeria are the highest among the member states of the OPEC.
Petrol is being sold at the rate of N58.40k in Iran, N30.55k in Kuwait, N32.12k in Qatar; N17.52 in Saudi Arabia, N54.00k in the United Arab Emirate, N15.95k in Libya and N39.42 in Bahrain.
The reason for the lower prices of petroleum products in these countries is that; one, they have functioning refineries and two, they neither engage in importation of petroleum products nor depend on sales crude oil as their sole source of generating revenues.
Nigeria has four refineries with the total capacity of 445, 000 barrel per day. Assuming these refineries are working to full capacity, even at 80 percent, there would be more than enough petroleum products for our local needs.
Successive governments never showed interest in repairing the faulty refineries, but rather, sabotaging them for personal gains, to the detriment of the masses.
In 2009, the House of Representatives affirmed that the refineries were being sabotaged.
General Abdulsalami Abubakar said that he was not going to open a Pandora box on the scandal surrounding the malfunctioning of the refineries.
If the House of Representatives affirmed the sabotage of refineries, if Abubakar refused to open the Pandora box, the fact remains that Nigerian leaders and some cartels in the Presidency are behind the ill-fate of the refineries.
The refineries are left un-repaired for selfish reasons.
Nigerian leaders prefer importation of fuel for personal gains.
Okonjo-Iweala claimed that the subsidy has been going into the wrong hands.
Who are the wrong hands? Where are they? Is removing the subsidy the right call? If subsidy is removed, would people not suffer more? Prices of goods and services would increase; the minimum wage will drop to N2000 in value.
Government is accountable to the people and it must provide answers to the posers being raised on the proposed fuel subsidy removal.
Those given refinery licenses during the administration of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo have refused to invest in it, as it is lucrative to engage in importation of petroleum products. In the last two years, a barrel of crude oil, which is extracted for less than $10, has been sold in the international market for prices ranging from $100 to $180. Since the cost of production is by far less than the price of the commodity, the issue of subsidy does not exist.
According to the National Assembly, Nigeria spends N860million on fuel importation and members projected that by the end of the year, over one trillion naira would have been spent on importation of fuel, when our budget stands N4.3trillion.
Dan Etete, former Minister for Petroleum, under the late dictator, General Sani Abacha, said the country needed $250million to repair the refineries and the same minister said Nigeria is importing fuel at $900million.
Why can't we build new refineries instead of using the huge sums to import fuel? Can't we build new refineries to serve us and remove the untold hardship the Federal Government wants to impose on us?
Corruption is the major problem threatening the existence of this nation.
Any government that cannot tackle corruption is a failure by all standards.
This is exactly what President Jonathan is lacking and it has never been in his agenda for once.
Corruption has been institutionalized and it would take only men of courage to fight the menace.
The political leaders have failed this country.
The youths are the worst-hit.
What we need is total reorientation at all levels.
Corruption and negligence of Nigeria leadership have crippled the economy and governance of the country.
Nigeria is a great country, with no record of natural disaster, in addition to natural resources that are more than enough for the development of this country.
A human rights crusader, Mr. Femi Falana said; "In 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010, the Federal Government spent N261billion, N278billion, N630billion N421billion and N673billion respectively on importation of petroleum products. In 2011, N240billion was appropriated for fuel subsidy by the National Assembly.
In contravention of the Appropriation Act, the NNPC caused the Federal Ministry of Finance, to release the sum of N1.3 trillion for the importation of oil. By August 31, 2011, the country had spent N3.6trillion on fuel importation from 2006 to 2011".
This is an unjustifiable fraud.
I have often wondered where the Federal Government gets the money to subsidize petroleum products for local consumption from.
It is dubious to claim that you are subsidizing prices of petroleum products, when you deliberately failed to make refineries work, but would rather issue import licenses to few cronies, to bring-in finished products from overseas, when our crude oil is exported at the same time.
Fuel subsidy does not exist.
The Federal Government should come out and justify the subsidy removal instead of deploring lobbyists and attempting to compromise the National Assembly and the Nigerian labour movement.
Nigerians should make it impossible.
We don't need subsidy to build roads, provide water and electricity as votes for capital projects have taken care of that.
Some people take our oil in Nigeria to neighbouring countries to refine and sell it back to us at exorbitant rates.
Why are we importing, when we have four refineries? Some ministers and political leaders have become oil merchants.
They have petrol stations and oil blocs. However, you cannot eat your cake and have it.
You cannot serve the nation and serve yourself at the same time.
No government should exist if it cannot serve the people, Government is about trust.
Government officials are trustees for the people.
Government is a contrivance of human wisdom and the wisdom should be used to satisfy people's needs.
According to Edmund Burke, the great British philosopher; 'Any government that cannot satisfy the needs of the people is irrelevant and must be kicked out'.
To me, the Federal Government is subsidizing fraud, corruption and inefficiency arising from official negligence to maintain the existing refineries and build new ones to meet domestic needs and generate substantial revenue from exporting petroleum products.
Instead of confronting the fuel cartels and some unpatriotic public officials duping the country through fraudulent claims and smuggling of subsidized petroleum products to neighbouring countries, government has decided to inflict more pains on the helpless Nigerians by withdrawing subsidy.
The fact is, with or without the fuel subsidy, the masses will be at the receiving ends.
People like Okonjo-Iweala and other government officials seducing the people to adopt the removal of the fuel subsidy will never be affected.
It is the common masses that will have to buy a litre of petrol for N155 and above.
It is the students, civil servants, farmers, artisans, labourers and other hapless Nigerians that would have to pay higher for their transportation. The effect of this is that prices of everything, from foodstuff, shelter, building materials and others would increase.
Nigerians, we have to live in pains for survival. Fuel subsidy removal is a bill to kill Nigerians. We must all reject it.
The National Assembly should look back and remember that it was the masses that elected them.
They are coming back to beg for votes.
It is time they legislate well for the well-being of the people.
They should throw out the bill at a glance.
Any member of the National Assembly that concedes to the removal of the fuel subsidy is a traitor.
They should not enhance imminent revolution that will surely greet the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Nigerians are not morons and they are neither weak nor afraid to fight.
They are just waiting for a clear and just course, like the fuel subsidy removal, to revolt and dismantle the so-called cartels behind their ordeals.
Osun Defender