Rumours of fuel price increase

Rumour has it that our “Distinguished” Senators want to add N5 per litre to the price of petrol as recommended by the Senate Committee on Works. Rumours are perhaps the most negative forces in any society because they cause a loss of trust and morale as well as increased general anxiety. Whether rumours are true […]

Rumour has it that our “Distinguished” Senators want to add N5 per litre to the price of petrol as recommended by the Senate Committee on Works. Rumours are perhaps the most negative forces in any society because they cause a loss of trust and morale as well as increased general anxiety. Whether rumours are true or invented, they spread quickly without confirmation or certainty as to facts. Indeed the only thing known to travel faster than the speed of light is rumours! No matter how harmless a rumour appears, people will take advantage of it. The biggest problem with rumours is that they grow, or as Jonathan Swift said “what some invent, the rest enlarge”. 

The recommendation is still a proposal and hasn’t been debated but once the rumour gains ground petrol station owners will begin to hoard products and increase prices. The word “rumour” is a Noun in the English language defined as – “a currently circulating story or report of uncertain or doubtful truth”. Apart from being a noun, the word rumour is also a Verb. When an individual is said to be “rumouring”, he or she is in fact circulating an unverified account. This is called rumour-mongering. 

In Nigeria rumour-mongering has become our stock in trade. This is hardly surprising because Nigerian politicians mistakenly believe that those who have no desire to contest for elective office have forfeited their right to receive information concerning government affairs. They are dismissive of the fact that many Nigerians chose to participate in public affairs by offering constructive criticism of government’s injustices. In circumstance where the facts and truth are not shared openly, the tendency is for many current affairs analysts to present rumours as “facts” obtained from unauthenticated sources. Most people who spread rumours don’t realise the possible consequences of their actions, especially when the social media is involved. Various Social media have made it easy to take advantage of gullible people who blindly accept whatever they read and then proceed to circulate baseless, unfounded and often brazenly false stories across the world as truth. 

The proliferation of rumours in Nigeria is a direct result of Government’s poor communication system and a failure of the Ministry of Information. Allowing genuine freedom of information and access to the truth from government sources, would save so much time and energy. Rumour denial now occupies so much of our top official’s time and indeed has been elevated to front page news! Over the past few weeks the Presidency denied the rumour that President Buhari is dead; the Vice-President denied rumours of nepotism against him; the Anambra State Governor denied the rumour that he travelled to the United States with an entourage of 179; The Chief of Army Staff denied the rumour that women were molested during IPOB rally; The Managing Director of Diamond Bank PLC denied the rumour that former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi left an empty treasury; The Federal Minister for Agriculture denied the rumour that government was not concerned about rampaging herdsmen; and The National Assembly denied the rumour that some senior staff jostling for the position of Clerk of the House falsified their appointment details. 

Even though commenting on rumours shouldn’t be encouraged, we should still bear in mind the legendary Winston Churchill’s quote paraphrased as: “There are a terrible lot of rumours going around, and the worst of it all is that half of them are true!” The Senate’s planned hike the price of fuel, is still a rumour but just in case it’s true, it isn’t out of place to comment in advance. If prices are increased at this point in time, it will be one of the most ill-advised, inappropriate, condemnable, untimely, insensitive, inflammatory, unwise, unreasonable, and unjust policy ever implemented by a Nigerian Senate.  This certainly isn’t the change Nigerians voted for. There is enough resentment, anger, suffering, desperation and hopelessness in the land without adding fuel to the smouldering fire. 

So many Nigerians purchase petrol and diesel to operate generators because of government’s abysmal failure to provide electricity. There is no justification for asking them to contribute to road repairs or any other such bunkum. If the All Progressives Congress (APC) intended to foster unity they are definitely succeeding in uniting the nation, not in support but in opposition! The Chairman of the Civil Liberties Organization; the Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum; the President of Arewa Youth Consultative forum; the National President of Yoruba Youth Council;  the  Secretary-General of Ethic Nationalities Youth Leaders of Nigeria; the Leader of the Ohaneze Youth Council; the Nigeria Labour Congress; and the Trade Union Congress; along with millions of Nigerians oppose the increase in the belief that Senators have lost touch with the feelings of Nigerians and no longer serve any useful purpose. 

It’s ironic that while Nigeria is always broke, we are always rich enough to meet the self-approved outrageous remunerations, allowances and benefits of indolent and corrupt Senators. Any policy which inflicts more suffering upon Nigerians at this point in time would be courting disaster. Let’s hope for all our sakes the fuel price increase remains just another false rumour.