Fuel subsidy does anyone trust govt?

Let no one suggest that government can provide such basic things because even    people in government cannot so vouch. Indeed, Nigerian governments are not known to deliver on their promises; and this is not a matter for debate, rather, it is a notorious fact which we, as a people have lived with even before independence. […]

Let no one suggest that government can provide such basic things because even    people in government cannot so vouch. Indeed, Nigerian governments are not known to deliver on their promises; and this is not a matter for debate, rather, it is a notorious fact which we, as a people have lived with even before independence. First, the colonial government which was essentially as an alien oppressor treated the people as mere objects of development.  The situation was then compounded by leaders of nationalist movements who formed government at independence. They merely stepped into the shoes of the whitemen, discouraged opposition and perpetuated themselves in office without regards for accountability.  From hindsight, we now know that military incursion into politics was also a disaster especially as the negative traits such as corruption with which the armed forces often justified their series of interventions surprisingly escalated. Although Nigeria is now a democracy, the people are yet to feel its dividends as the nation has been in darkness for the past 12 years. The result of poor governance which this exemplifies is that people have little or no faith in government derogating considerably from its credibility. Anything positive about government is doubted while everything negative about it is believed. The general feeling is that government is all about politics and not service thereby heightening the subsisting societal prejudices and deep rooted cynicism in the nation since colonial times. Why should anyone trust government?

Here, let us recall the cat and rat game between government and the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) during President Obasanjo’s tenure.  Before both parties at a point eventually settled for N49.00 per litre, it was resolved that government would introduce certain palliative measures to cushion the effects of the price increase. Specifically, the federal government was to give N100 million to every state, to which each state would add N200 million and give to reputable transporters as loans to buy many buses to bring down the cost of public transportation. Did the federal government provide its share, if so which state got it and which of them added its own bit? Where are the transporters; where are the buses? So, if it is about government promise, the body of cynics who have no faith in government grows daily in our clime- the latest recruits being members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who for over two years held-on in bewilderment to a worthless piece of paper they signed with government which for want of name was called an agreement!  With the experience of ASUU, who is likely to sign any document with government on the removal of petroleum subsidy? Well, the National Assembly can do so on political grounds but that body also needs to note two issues. First, not too long ago, it endorsed one such document- the minimum wage as if a legal document without commitment to it has any value. Second, Senator Saraki and 14 others have alerted the nation that the amounts spent on fuel subsidy in the past have always been grossly beyond the approved figure!!

Thus, while the removal of subsidy may ensure more money for government to spend, there are many adverse implications which our leaders may not have immediately averted their minds to. First, more money means a struggle for an increase in the monthly allocation to different tiers of government-that translates to an increase in security vote which is essentially a tool for corruption. It is also likely to enhance the undeclared emoluments of our legislators. Most importantly, it can create a conducive ground for more of our leaders to be humiliated with corruption charges after leaving office as current happenings suggest.  These can be avoided. We also need to avoid giving government more money when it has not satisfied us on how it spends what it already has. It is like Coach Siasia assuring us all, soon after Guinea disgraced the Eagles last week that with more powers and resources, he would make sure we beat Brazil!

For us, the removal of fuel subsidy should not be done without first putting certain things in place. To start with, the process must of necessity be preceded by building public faith in the policy. As Senator Saraki’s group has shown it is expedient ‘to make the scheme more transparent, corruption- free and competitive’. Why is the cost of production of petroleum product high in Nigeria? We hear it is the handiwork of a group which the government chooses to call a cartel. Why government cannot flush out the mafia instead of foisting the pains of their activities on the people remains inexplicable. It is like the case of Oga Joshua-our head of department in our days in service who could never query three of our colleagues that always came to work. What he always did was to send a general circular to all staff including those who never came late that “late coming would no longer be tolerated”.  Is our government also that hapless? If not, then it should hold the bull by the horn because it is hard to buy the present dummy of equating the so called cartel to a ghost.  In addition, it is also not too much for government to ensure the Turn-Around Maintenance of our refineries so as to stop the importation of petroleum products for domestic consumption. This would reduce the current high cost of production and the cost of subsidy. Thereafter, government should show sincerity of purpose in two areas. The first is to implement and not just to say simple things like running a budget from January to December. The second is to accomplish a few of its transformation agenda within the first two years of its tenure such that when it proposes anything as from May 2013 the nation will acquiesce. Until then, the old policy of putting the cart before the horse cannot fly because no one trusts government.