Fuel Subsidy -A Sad Gift from the President

We entered into the New Year with such optimism and confidence. New Year resolutions, visions and dreams that were hindered the year before were reconsidered with the hope of success this year. As a common fact that the new year brings much more only to be destabilized by the Federal Government with the announcement of the Removal of Fuel subsidy. The announcement was received with strike action from the people and the National Labor Congress.

Following the truce reached by both organized labor and the federal government over the disagreement and subsequent clash over President Goodluck Jonathan’s fuel Subsidy Removal, which was later partially reversed. This evidently shows the instability of the Nigerian economy and its lack of vision.

Nigeria is a country without doubt, immensely blessed with enormous resources. In addition, her citizens are reputed to be very hospitable and resourceful, among the best in the world. The only hitch is the endemic corruption which all and sundry claim is turning the country into shreds and making a mockery of all the invaluable investment and endowment bestowed on it. Pathetically, persons fingered in corruption incident are turned to scared cows and regarded far above the country as untouchable. Corruption presents all the sociable and affable citizens of this great country as a bunch of unpatriotic and disloyal fellows.

The fear many Nigerians have and which informed their disapproval of President Goodluck Jonathan’s New Year day fuel subsidy removal, is the attendant and uncontrolled hike in the prices of other commodities along with the fuel price deregulation. At these times, transporters cease the opportunity of the subsidy to shoot the cost of transporting goods and persons up, traders in the markets are also quick to hold fuel subsidy responsible for the rise in the price of wares. The Nigerian man is at the receiving end and is made to bear the brunt.

This gift could have been properly thought out before it was delivered. The Palliatives the Government introduced subsequently should have been in place before the removal of fuel subsidy. Now everything has gone up and has refused to come down based on these actions.  The subsidy should not have been the first priority of the Government amidst the present challenges the country is facing and that is why the people rejected the measure. The right step should have been for the government to tackle the security challenges in the country presently, improve on the people’s wellbeing before embarking on such an act.