There’s more pain at the pump and all over Nigeria. Petrol pump prices spiked again, the first after the initial spike following the subsidy removal. That won’t be the last unless President Tinubu intervened. Mr Mele Kyari, the Managing Director of NNPC limited, attributed the spike to ‘market forces’. Nigeria’s market forces are mercenaries. They are like the Wagner forces that turned on Putin. They will and they’re turning on Nigerians and will annihilate them sooner rather than later.
Before these forces kill us all, president Tinubu should kindly intervene. He should learn from President Joe Biden of America. During the last American energy crisis, when gas (petrol) prices were sky high and Americans were crying under what they called the “pain at the pump” worried and empathetic President Joe Biden intervened to reduce the cost of petrol. Biden did everything he could. He released millions of barrels of petrol from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. He talked to Saudi Arabia and OPEC to increase the supply of oil to bring down prices. He gave tax breaks to energy companies in America. He fought inflation tooth and nail. Additionally, state governors, all over America, spent and still are spending billions of dollars to subsidize fuel.
Yes, America is subsidizing fuel. Why won’t they allow us to do the same is puzzling to me. If the richest people n earth do enjoy petroleum subsidies, why do we the wretched of the earth won’t? This world is so unjust. Make no mistake, there’s nothing inherently wrong about the petroleum subsidy.
Nigerians are suffering and crying. That’s not good. The high cost of petrol is becoming unbearable. And that is dangerous. Very dangerous. Recent history tells us this. Usually, the removal of fuel subsidies around the world ignites civil strife or other upheavals. In their article, published in Project Syndicate, Jordan Kayle and Kwaw Andam wrote: “According to the BBC, people in more than 90 countries took to the streets over the cost or availability of fuel between January and September 2022.”
Alhamdulillah! Nothing has happened in Nigeria yet – not even NLC strike – staged or otherwise. And I pray that nothing shall happen. I equally pray that President Tinubu should do something about the high costs of petrol and the subsidy removal. I know It’s not easy, but he could do something to ameliorate our unbearable suffering before we reach the breaking point.
The easiest thing to do is to bring the subsidy in some shape or form. Like paying deserving vehicle owners direct cash or a voucher on a monthly basis. This includes giving commercial drivers cash or vouchers on the condition that government will control the transport fares they will charge. The fine details would be worked out.
Make no mistake, there’s nothing inherently wrong with the petroleum subsidy. It’s a good thing. Everybody sees the goods – what we are missing now -more clearly. And we have seen how the removal of the subsidy inflicted pains everywhere instantly. It has pushed over 4 million Nigerians into poverty.
It’s true, the subsidy had some costs that we got rid of. And Nigeria may be saving trillion of Naira monthly but sadly, it’s equally true that Nigerians shed litters of tears every day. That’s not good. Isn’t it?
Saad, a lawyer is the Acting Chairman of APC Publicity Committee, Bauchi State and former Director-General of BASEPA.
