With deep sadness in my heart, I tap the keys of my PC listening to AIT news, where 22 people were killed in a hotel in Adamawa state; it is important to note that the people killed were part of mourners that came to mourn a loved one. After that, a Deeper Life Bible church was attacked in Gombe state and 5 People were killed. This is a pure reflection of how insecure, the country has become, reprisal attacks has begun to occur as a Muslim community in Delta state was attacked in Sapele injuring about 50. Academic Staff Union of Universities is still on strike, shutting down the public owned tertiary institutions in Nigeria. Nigeria is one of the largest consumers of generators in the world, producing what they do not use for us; hence only those that can afford it enjoy Light and small scale organisations spend huge sums of their capital on Power. The list of the problems confronting the 6th largest producer of oil in the world, The most populous black nation in the world and one of the most populous in the world is endless, and I Still strongly believe this country needs divine intervention.
However the issues listed above is not the main reason for this write-up, but what I want to write on is the reigning gist in the country:” FUEL SUBSIDY”. Our dear president meted to the population one of the worst New Year gift in World History, something that Only God alone has been keeping this country from an occurrence of something that will beat Arab Spring. The president displayed the high sense of insensitivity, when he decided to implement this odd policy on the first day of the New Year, making people stranded in villages, hitting people with unexpected hardship from the beginning of the year. The policy itself started on the wrong foot, because through town hall meetings, the Nation was expecting something around April; that is even if we were to accept it oh! And they surprised us on New Year day (Display of the beginning of deceit and corruption).
Also, before we begin to display the hardships that the removal has caused already, let me first begin why Nigerians at all are not going to accept this for the main time. A Common parlance says: Leaders lead by example and the leadership of this nation has not in any way displayed this and so the talk of sacrifice, that the supporters of the policy has painted the media with is nowhere to be found when the leaders are not ready to do same. The Nigerian government is one of the most subsidized in the world, where political office holders do little or nothing with their own money, luxuriously enjoying the nation’s money without complaint and the one thing that the common man in the street enjoys, they want to remove it! No thanks. A government that is broke and cannot afford subsidy can afford subsidizing itself, paying to the level of wardrobe allowance for lawmakers, Government is broke but”; N184,000,000.00 to water the presidency’s garden this year, N1.2 billion to rehabilitate the State House inMarina;N608,700,000.00 to maintain n fuel cars in the
presidency alone this year. Computers n Scanners cost us N652, 983,600.00.00 for the presidency alone 2011; N1, 128, 640, 00.00 for Residential Furniture in d Presidency; we have over 50 ministers, Subsidy removal will cost each Nigerian, rich or poor, old or young, babies and virgins, etc N7,500/year directly . We will save almost $500million/year from cutting the salaries of just over 400 people (Lawmakers) We can save $115million/year from their salaries and still have our
Senators earn above Obama’s salary. We will save over $302million/year from their salaries and still have our House of Reps members earn Obama’s salary. Over 800,000.00/day for Presidency's refreshment; Presidency’s kitchen cost us N3million/day over N1.2billion/year; it cost us N8.6million to buy magazines and periodicals for the presidency; each Senator earns
$1.5million/year; the Presidency’s medical expenses cost tax payers over N2million/day. Imagine the staggering amount we’ll save from cutting the payoff figure-head ward councillors
in their thousands. If we halve the pay of Ambassadors, we will raise millions of dollars for capital
projects.” (SOURCE - Funke Treasure Durodola fanpage). Listed above, is part of the expenditure of a government that claims that it is broke and will be like Greece if Subsidy is not removed. Not listed are the irrelevant travels of the Government officials with the best workers they can think of, the so –called security votes. And they sit down to complain of subsidy? Is this not getting annoying? They want to become like US and UK, are they ready to make sacrifices that the leaders of this nation made?” Can the occupiers of these lofty positions act in honour as Barack Obama did in 2010 when he got every member of his cabinet to take a pay cut, starting with himself? Within his first few days as British Prime Minister, David Cameron led the austerity cuts (upon his assumption) by cutting down his convoy to 2 cars and one outrider. The Members of Parliament in Britain are now only allowed 3rd class train tickets on official travel (as opposed to their traditional first class train ticket allowances). The Mayor of London now rides a bicycle to work. Leadership by example!!! – FELA Durotoye” Houses of senior government officials furnished yearly, do the citizens of the nation do that? You do not give us water to drink; we use petrol to fuel our generators to pump water to drink and you want to increase the price, hence increasing the price of water that is sold. There are no alternative sources of transport (nearest one to be built is in a year or 2, till then what), There is no light (electricity); almost all houses rely on generator to power their house (and you want to increase the price?),Sanusi claims it enriches the rich, let us say we buy it but it also gets to the poor; in his plight to make the fuel subsidy look sensible, he threatens us with the case of Greece and unknowingly outlines the failures of the government he represents :lack of control of territorial waters to stop stealing of petrol paid for by Nigerians to other countries, Irresponsibility of port officials which is supposed to have been dealt with by the govt, listing of companies benefiting without the govt doing anything appreciable in bringing them to book etc. The government cannot allow about 160 million people to suffer for the sins of a few that the government have allowed to go scot free. It was very saddening for Sanusi to compare us with neighbouring countries selling at higher prices but lack the resources and population strength of Nigeria.
presidency alone this year. Computers n Scanners cost us N652, 983,600.00.00 for the presidency alone 2011; N1, 128, 640, 00.00 for Residential Furniture in d Presidency; we have over 50 ministers, Subsidy removal will cost each Nigerian, rich or poor, old or young, babies and virgins, etc N7,500/year directly . We will save almost $500million/year from cutting the salaries of just over 400 people (Lawmakers) We can save $115million/year from their salaries and still have our
Senators earn above Obama’s salary. We will save over $302million/year from their salaries and still have our House of Reps members earn Obama’s salary. Over 800,000.00/day for Presidency's refreshment; Presidency’s kitchen cost us N3million/day over N1.2billion/year; it cost us N8.6million to buy magazines and periodicals for the presidency; each Senator earns
$1.5million/year; the Presidency’s medical expenses cost tax payers over N2million/day. Imagine the staggering amount we’ll save from cutting the payoff figure-head ward councillors
in their thousands. If we halve the pay of Ambassadors, we will raise millions of dollars for capital
projects.” (SOURCE - Funke Treasure Durodola fanpage). Listed above, is part of the expenditure of a government that claims that it is broke and will be like Greece if Subsidy is not removed. Not listed are the irrelevant travels of the Government officials with the best workers they can think of, the so –called security votes. And they sit down to complain of subsidy? Is this not getting annoying? They want to become like US and UK, are they ready to make sacrifices that the leaders of this nation made?” Can the occupiers of these lofty positions act in honour as Barack Obama did in 2010 when he got every member of his cabinet to take a pay cut, starting with himself? Within his first few days as British Prime Minister, David Cameron led the austerity cuts (upon his assumption) by cutting down his convoy to 2 cars and one outrider. The Members of Parliament in Britain are now only allowed 3rd class train tickets on official travel (as opposed to their traditional first class train ticket allowances). The Mayor of London now rides a bicycle to work. Leadership by example!!! – FELA Durotoye” Houses of senior government officials furnished yearly, do the citizens of the nation do that? You do not give us water to drink; we use petrol to fuel our generators to pump water to drink and you want to increase the price, hence increasing the price of water that is sold. There are no alternative sources of transport (nearest one to be built is in a year or 2, till then what), There is no light (electricity); almost all houses rely on generator to power their house (and you want to increase the price?),Sanusi claims it enriches the rich, let us say we buy it but it also gets to the poor; in his plight to make the fuel subsidy look sensible, he threatens us with the case of Greece and unknowingly outlines the failures of the government he represents :lack of control of territorial waters to stop stealing of petrol paid for by Nigerians to other countries, Irresponsibility of port officials which is supposed to have been dealt with by the govt, listing of companies benefiting without the govt doing anything appreciable in bringing them to book etc. The government cannot allow about 160 million people to suffer for the sins of a few that the government have allowed to go scot free. It was very saddening for Sanusi to compare us with neighbouring countries selling at higher prices but lack the resources and population strength of Nigeria.
Furthermore, an annoying occurrence was reported in the AIT network news of today, 6th of January,2012. People were paid 1000 naira, to demonstrate as PRO- Government protesters. A sad story of exploitation, because I will not blame them. It is annoying enough that we are paying 65 naira and still they are thinking of increasing. As a government, we are the governed, the mandate is in our hands, the policy is for us and we do not want. We have meticulously analysed it and have seen that the government can do without the removal of subsidy, if our resources are carefully maintained; Our refineries are in good working condition, effective power to stimulate internal and local productions of our needs and employment of our needs, development of the maritime and agricultural sector, A standard educational system and wonderful transport system, if we are enjoying all these, if you remove subsidy we go understand. Government has not done enough to make Nigerians trust them with their sweat, we do not trust them enough to make judicious use of the funds accrued; forget the committee set up, I concur with the words of Fela Durotoye “wasteful leadership cannot make prudent investment” prove to us that you are faithful and diligent in little, then Nigerians will be ready to sacrifice their sweat and blood for the future of their CHILDREN. If these have not been done, as it is evident enough, leave our Subsidy alone. Let me assume, government officials are reading this, ASUU is still on strike oh, if you have answered them already, you would have reduced the crowd of protesters because students would have been occupied in school(ANOTHER LAXITY);I am reminding you, in case you have forgotten and BOKO is stil BOKOING and shooting please handle them before you feed them with frustrated beings who are not in school and are suffering under the hardship caused by your REMOVAL OF SUBSIDY....leave our subsidy alone.
