<\/p>\n
Regime Is About Trust<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Since the announcement and implementation of the increase in the pump<\/p>\n price of fuel from N86 and N86.50 per litre to a cap limit of N145 per<\/p>\n litre respectively under the President Muhammadu Buhari led<\/p>\n administration, one has read and listened to a lot of commentaries from<\/p>\n various quarters either innocently, ignorantly or mischievously trying to<\/p>\n equate former President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s policy of removal of fuel<\/p>\n subsidy which resulted in the increase in pump price of petrol from N65 to<\/p>\n N141 per litre and President Buhari\u2019s policy of liberalizing the<\/p>\n downstream sector which resulted in the increase of pump price of fuel<\/p>\n from N86.50 to a cap limit of N145 per litre as one and the same.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regrettably, some of the opponents of the new fuel price regime, instead<\/p>\n of coming up with facts and statistics to buttress their position by<\/p>\n educating and convincing the people against the present government policy<\/p>\n in this age of intellectual discourse, have resorted to abuses, insults<\/p>\n and politically partisan statements which clearly exposes their standpoint<\/p>\n which is at variance with that of the majority of the people who have<\/p>\n queued up behind the new fuel price regime.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Some of these persons and groups have even resorted to tactics of<\/p>\n humiliating and intimidating the Nigerian people into a mindset of regret<\/p>\n by their relentless assaults, attacks and abuses that Nigerians are<\/p>\n hypocritical for stoutly and massively rejecting Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s<\/p>\n policy in 2012, but supporting the fuel policy in 2016.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n They have uncharitably called persons and groups with whom they were<\/p>\n together in the trenches against former President Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s<\/p>\n policy in 2012 but who are not with them now on the opposition to the new<\/p>\n policy regime due to the reality of the times or for reasons best known to<\/p>\n them, all sorts of names and thereby exhibiting ignorance of the fact that<\/p>\n \u201cWe can\u2019t all sleep and think in one direction\u201d because variety is the<\/p>\n spice of life. Infact, it was the philosopher Heraclitus who postulated<\/p>\n that \u201cYou could not step twice into the same river\u201d, meaning that no two<\/p>\n situations are exactly the same. Even in families, agreements and<\/p>\n disagreement occurs on issues, but the truth of the matter is that, ones<\/p>\n position must be rational, logical and based on facts rather than on<\/p>\n sentiments and emotions which is like a mob action mentality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n A critical tenet of democracy as a system of government which a lot of our<\/p>\n people are yet to come to grasp with is that, it recognizes that while the<\/p>\n majority will have their way, the minority must have their say. So, if a<\/p>\n person believes that he or she is endowed with more wisdom than even king<\/p>\n Solomon in the Bible and the mass of the people put together and he<\/p>\n assumes that the people have committed an error in taking a decision on an<\/p>\n issue, it is the height of immaturity and lack of civility to assault and<\/p>\n deride peoples sensibility because of differences on issues which is<\/p>\n natural.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, to put the records straight, the attempt to intimidate and<\/p>\n assault the peoples sensibilities by attempting to equate the 2012 fuel<\/p>\n subsidy removal and 2016 fuel price regime, is obviously incorrect and far<\/p>\n from the truth. Thus, there is the urgent need to place issues in proper<\/p>\n perspective for the sake of discerning minds and posterity sake, lest the<\/p>\n maxim of the infamous Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels that \u201cTell a lie,<\/p>\n a thousand times and it becomes the truth, holds sway.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n For records sake, it is imperative to state clearly just as it has been<\/p>\n canvassed from certain quarters in explaining the true situation of things<\/p>\n vis a vis the 2012 and 2016 fuel price regimes, that the major difference<\/p>\n between the former President Goodluck Jonathan and President Buhari\u2019s<\/p>\n administrations was the issue of transparency, accountability, trust and<\/p>\n responsibility of leadership.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n In explaining our position further, it becomes pertinent to reel out the<\/p>\n facts which is incontrovertible about the fuel subsidy regimes from<\/p>\n previous governments. Stated below is the amount expended on fuel subsidy<\/p>\n viz a viz the national budget by the federal government for a ten year<\/p>\n period of 2006 – 2016<\/p>\n <\/p>\n :<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Year.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 National Budget.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Subsidy Payments<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2006\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N1. 9 trillion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N151. 9 billion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2007\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N2. 3 trillion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N188 billion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2008\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N2. 45 trillion\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N256.3 billion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2009\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N3. 049 trillion\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0N421. 5 billion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2012\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N4. 7 trillion\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N1. 049 trillion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2013\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N4. 98 trillion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0N971 billion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2014\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N4. 69 trillion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N971 billion<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2015\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N4. 49 trillion\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N1 trillion +<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 2016\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 N6. 06 trillion.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 ———–<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n From the above table, one can see clearly that the astronomical increase<\/p>\n in subsidy payments from N421. 5 billion in 2009 to N1.3 trillion and 2.2<\/p>\n trillion naira in 2010 and 2011 respectively can be noticed from 2010 when<\/p>\n ex President Goodluck Jonathan assumed the reins of leadership of the<\/p>\n country as acting President.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n We need to remind ourselves that in January 2012 when the federal<\/p>\n government implemented the removal of fuel subsidy, we could afford it if<\/p>\n was transparently managed because our major foreign earner, the crude oil<\/p>\n per barrel was selling at above $110 at the international market, the<\/p>\n country\u2019s foreign reserve was about $40 billion and there was low or no<\/p>\n pipeline vandalism unlike now that the cost of crude oil per barrel has<\/p>\n dipped between $40 – 45 or even lower, there is high scale vandalism of<\/p>\n oil pipelines which has depleted our income because of a fall in<\/p>\n production of crude oil, the foreign reserves was hugely depleted to the<\/p>\n tune of about $27 billion by the previous government which went aborrowing<\/p>\n to sustain the running cost of the federal government before exiting<\/p>\n office as attested to by the then Minister of finance, Dr. Mrs. Ngozi<\/p>\n Okonji Iweala.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The federal government credibility crisis with the people began when she<\/p>\n announced towards the end of 2011 that she was going to remove the fuel<\/p>\n subsidy allocation in the 2012 budget because it was unsustainable which<\/p>\n was the truth, but was not prepared to render account of stewardship on<\/p>\n the management of the fuel subsidy payments which the people viewed as a<\/p>\n fraud because of the astronomical rise of the payments against logic and<\/p>\n rationality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unfortunately, instead of the government to hearken to the cries of the<\/p>\n people for an investigation into what the people believed was a fraudulent<\/p>\n subsidy regime, she played deaf and tried to sweep under the carpet the<\/p>\n demand for accountability on how the fuel subsidy funds was managed and<\/p>\n rather embarked on a vigorous campaign on why the fuel subsidy regime must<\/p>\n be eliminated in a display of utter insensitivity.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n However, when the fuel subsidy was unilaterally removed on January 1, 2012<\/p>\n by the federal government which resulted in an increase in the price of<\/p>\n fuel from N65 to N141 per litre without providing answers to the peoples<\/p>\n queries on accountability, the battle line was thus drawn and the mass of<\/p>\n the people without prompting came to a logical conclusion that if a<\/p>\n government which derives its mandate from the people is running away from<\/p>\n the tenets of transparency and accountability, which is an essential<\/p>\n ingredient of democracy, then such a government does not deserve to be<\/p>\n trusted, which was why the people aligned forces in the occupy Nigeria<\/p>\n protests all over the country. It was this deficit in credibility that<\/p>\n extended thereafter and culminated in the government being voted out of<\/p>\n office at the 2015 general elections.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The position of the people that the government cannot punish them for its<\/p>\n incompetence and criminal complicity in the fuel subsidy fraud which she<\/p>\n was not prepared to investigate and prosecute, was however reinforced by<\/p>\n the outcomes of the House of Representatives investigative committee and<\/p>\n the Mr. Aigboje Aig Imoukhuede committee which was set up by the federal<\/p>\n government as a consequence of the fuel subsidy protests after the<\/p>\n irreparable damage to its reputation for aiding and abetting corruption.<\/p>\n The report of both committees indicted some persons and companies of fuel<\/p>\n subsidy fraud for which they are still standing trial in courts till date.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n To correct the misinformation and blackmail of equating the 2012 fuel<\/p>\n subsidy situation with the 2016 fuel price regime, we need to make it<\/p>\n abundantly clear that the 2012 Occupy Nigeria Protests which witnessed<\/p>\n massive turnout of people on their own volition was not a rejection of the<\/p>\n removal of fuel subsidy which the people themselves believed was a fraud<\/p>\n perpetrated against our commonwealth, but was a rejection of a government<\/p>\n that was hands in glove with corruption in violation of the constitution<\/p>\n and our values as a people of honour.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before assuming office, President Muhammadu Buhari explicitly stated at<\/p>\n campaign foras that the fuel subsidy regime is a fraud which was in tandem<\/p>\n with the thinking of mass majority of Nigerians and has been validated by<\/p>\n the ongoing prosecution of alledged fuel subsidy fraudsters, hence in the<\/p>\n submission of the 2016 budget which was his first national budget to the<\/p>\n National Assembly, there was no provision for fuel subsidy payments.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Moreover, President Buhari is widely regarded as a man of high moral<\/p>\n pedestal not only with the Nigerian people but also in the international<\/p>\n community because of his Spartan lifestyle which endeared him to Nigerians<\/p>\n who voted him into office and are solidly behind his government on this<\/p>\n new fuel policy. It is this credibility of responsible leadership that<\/p>\n indisputably separates the present leadership from its predecessor and is<\/p>\n the difference between 2012 and 2016 because leadership is about trust.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n On a final note, one would like to admonish the opponents of this new fuel<\/p>\n policy who have resorted to abuses, insults, attacks and blackmail instead<\/p>\n of putting up superior arguments, to realize that in 2016, just like in<\/p>\n 2012, there is divergence of opinions on the issues, but it will make<\/p>\n sense if they can come up with incontrovertible reasons of why people<\/p>\n should see things from their lens as against the reality on the ground,<\/p>\n because a society becomes endangered when issues are not dissected<\/p>\n dispassionately on its merit but on the basis of who is involved.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Thanks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nelson Ekujumi<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Regime Is About Trust Since the announcement and implementation of the increase in the pump price of fuel from N86 and N86.50 per litre to a cap limit of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":49405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-49404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles-opinions"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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