Fuel Subsidy: Nigerians have resigned to hopelessness, tension heightened – Afenifere

A statement issued and signed by its Secretary General, Chief Sola Ebiseni in Akure, said that ” The social misery index is at an all-time high. More Nigerians have resigned themselves to hopelessness as mass poverty slowly gathers strength and heightened tensions escalate.

Ebiseni said that “If nothing concrete is done to ameliorate the current level of hardship on the people, it may lead to massive unrest the country may not be able to contain as things spiral out of control.

“Nigeria is currently caught in a labyrinth of inclement weather of a convoluted election process and its unwieldy outcomes, intractable security problems and the nightmarish aftermath of a sudden and harsh removal of petrol subsidy on the other.

“In less than six weeks, an already asphyxiating economy reeling under the crushing impact of hyperinflation, unemployment, mass hunger and poverty foisted by the gross ineptitude and incompetence that characterized the watch of eight years is looking like an episode drawn straight out of Dante’s Hell.

“It is feared that this latest gross act of thoughtless policy implementation and its unintended consequences will further push Nigeria’s economy down the slope as Nigeria has officially overtaken India as The New Poverty Capital of the World

“While the top three Presidential candidates in the last election agreed that the wasteful and corruption-infested Petrol Subsidy had to go, no one however, expected that the Subsidy would be removed in the sudden manner it was done: a seeming off-the-cuff declaration of the removal of the subsidy, totally ignoring the impact on the people and the economy.

” Such a huge economic decision with clear potential for serious deleterious impact on disposable incomes of the already impoverished citizens should never have been made in the cavalier manner as was witnessed.

“It is indeed a matter of grave concern that a party and its candidate which made subsidy removal a cardinal campaign issue, did not have a plan on ground to introduce the necessary countervailing palliatives simultaneously to protect the people and the economy.

“Progressive” governance, which they have always professed, would have put ahead of everything, the welfare of the citizens and should never be, or made to seem like, an afterthought.

“If the body is troubled by a tooth that has to be removed, only a quack dentist would dare to pull off the tooth without administering necessary pain killers before, and even after, the removal.

“Hitting the ground running is more than a slogan or braggadocio declaration, the run must be well coordinated by competent hands available nationwide and not confined to actors whose efforts have only been exaggerated by the spatial limits of their past endeavours.

“No one today questions the need for sacrifices by citizens to restore the fiscal viability of the country. However, that sacrifice must be made by all, and in a progressive manner. Those at the leadership of the country must lead by example.

” It is time we addressed the inordinate cost of governance in a very open, substantial and substantive way.

“The gargantuan waste of public funds in running government with a multiplicity of agencies and offices of doubtful benefit to society must end.

It is unfortunate, though we are not surprised, that there is nothing exciting in terms of innovation of ideas than the recycling of the huge corruption in the management of Fuel Subsidy regime and the oil industry characterized by manipulation of the volume of petrol imported into the country, the theft of crude oil, the massive smuggling under the noses of our Customs officers and security and intelligence personnel, the perennial and atrociously costly Turn Around Maintenance and refurbishment of moribund refineries that produce no products.

” Afenifere as a political group and the rallying platform for social welfarist progressive ideals inexorably committed to the greatest good of the greatest number of Nigerians cannot afford to fold its arms or be seen to maintain silence, neutrality or ambivalence in the face of this latest body blow on an already traumatized citizenry.

“Oransaye’s Report must be updated to capture new agencies that have been added to the Federal Bureaucracy since the Report and to reflect the new compelling and urgent need to reduce the cost of governance.

“The notoriously opaque, obscene and unconscionable salaries, allowances, perks and “retirement benefits” of Executive and Legislative arms of government at all levels unbelievably more generous than remuneration of public officers in eminently wealthier nations, must immediately be brought in line with the reality of our economy and productivity.

“Similarly, a review of Code of Conduct and the General Service Rules must be instituted to rid the service of the mentality that has allowed the reckless abuse and leakages in the system under the false impression that the country is rich.

“There is no virtue in profligacy, but there is honour in prudence. For example, while public officers at all levels move around in endless motorcades of exotic bulletproof foreign cars and the Presidency keeps a fleet of eleven Presidential jets, much richer nations do not indulge in such frivolities and extravagance.

“Nigeria can no longer afford these excesses and we must put an end to them going forward.

“It is unfortunate, though we are not surprised, that there is nothing exciting in terms of innovation of ideas than the recycling of the huge corruption in the management of Fuel Subsidy regime and the oil industry characterized by manipulation of the volume of petrol imported into the country, the theft of crude oil, the massive smuggling under the noses of our Customs officers and security and intelligence personnel, the perennial and atrociously costly Turn Around Maintenance and refurbishment of moribund refineries that produce no products.

“Nigerians expect no less than a courageous and fine-tooth- comb investigation with a view to recovering public funds and those culpable made to pay for established crimes.

“Nigerians must no longer be saddled with the burden of the gargantuan and wasteful funds spent on the fat emoluments of “Refinery” workers who produce nothing but are kept on obscene job packages that cost our people N70bn per annum (by estimates published two years ago).

“This is the justice that Nigeria and Nigerians deserve and expect for the calls for their sacrifice.It is after the huge corruption in the oil industry and its management is identified and redressed, after political leaders and policymakers have implemented their own cost cutting measures to save Nigeria and its economy, that poor Nigerians may justifiably be convinced to see reason for perseverance.

“There seems a complete loss of ideas or confusion in the corruption-infested management of “palliatives” of N500bn for 200m Nigerians but hugely cornered at the topmost level of governance while the people are mocked by their representatives in the Senate with the motion of “Let The Poor Breathe”.

“The planned disposal of the “palliatives” in cash and the obvious confusion on the exact modalities of the “palliatives” suggest a total ignorance of the current realities and the gigantic remedial needs of the populace.

“Rather than pay cash that will evaporate and provide only momentary relief to a minuscule few, effective plans ought to be put in place to provide facilities that will ameliorate the suffering of the masses right across the country in a sustainable manner.

“As to the gigantic mountain of debts, domestic and international, that has been amassed in the name of Nigerians, the people expect, in the true spirit of transparency and accountability, the publication of a detailed report of the various debts and what they were spent upon.

“This is the true oversight function of the National Assembly.

“Afenifere is not oblivious of the parlours state of security in the land by which the sovereignty of our county is rubbished in its inability to guarantee safety of life and property.

“The situation is made worse by the army of non-state actors who profess friendship and protection of the interests of leadership even at the apex of the nation’s political pyramid.

“We remain committed to the restructuring of the federation such that the federating nationalities and states will have true capacity for internal security.

“No one today questions the need for sacrifices by citizens to restore the fiscal viability of the country. However, that sacrifice must be made by all, and in a progressive manner. Those at the leadership of the country must lead by example.

The statement added that “Afenifere as a political group and the rallying platform for social welfarist progressive ideals inexorably committed to the greatest good of the greatest number of Nigerians cannot afford to fold its arms or be seen to maintain silence, neutrality or ambivalence in the face of this latest body blow on an already traumatized citizenry.