By Oduche Azih
SO?
When will a so-called Plc, whose shareholders remain unknown, steer clear of negotiating The People’s welfare without their mandate.
How complicated is it to expect that going forward, the NNPC Plc will desist from mentioning or delving into the matter of Petroleum Fuels Subsidy, A STRICTLY POLITICAL MATTER that has been analysed to death? What new can the same recycled PLACEHOLDERS working for the Daura-led clique offer us, unsolicited, in this matter? It is highly impolitic and provocative for these same expediters of the porous and opaque Subsidy Regime, that has made scores of NBillionnaires among them and their friends, to presume to make any further suggestions in this regard. They should just shut up!
Since the market for Diesel was freed from government anti-market control, the sectors involved have been facing obvious difficulties. The inability of government to understand Consequences and Linkages has made it impossible for unqualified and/or irredeemably conflicted FG political appointees to understand that with Reliable Electricity, no one would give a damn about the price of diesel. Again with an ill-advised show of concern for the kerosene consuming masses, feigned populism, the Federal Government decided to dabble into the pricing, thereby sustaining the demand pressure that consequently had/has an adverse impact on supply and pricing for the LINKED Aviation Sector.
There we go again.
Almost four decades ago an Iranian colleague and Market Area Manager couldn’t understand why Bitumen for road construction would be such a scarce commodity here in Nigeria. Further industrial experience over the years made me to put LPG ahead of Bitumen on that priority ranking. Nigeria has no business talking about kerosene as a domestic cooking fuel. All because we have dinosaurs in government. . Was it not in Peru that a government was ousted because they dropped the ball regarding the informal commitment to ensure supply of LPG to whoever needed it, nationwide? . Here in Nigeria, we have never been serious. Thinking is such an excruciating exercise. Hence, very few engage in it, including unfortunately those paid lavishly to do just that. . Only that! Nothing more.
For goodness sake, let the government get out and stay out of this subsidy business. Over 70% of the so-called Petroleum marketers would immediately exit the business allowing the solidly capitalized and committed operations to thrive on much thinner margins but vastly increased turnovers. The pressure on prices would be generally downwards. Nigerians would expect more rapid response when the global oil prices go south. Right now it has only remained up and then more up!
Against this backdrop, we would have no choice but to complete and rapidly expand the embryonic mass transit systems touted by both the Federal and State governments. Right now petty managers who can ill afford it are still able to be chauffeur-dinner from Magodo to Lekki for work.
What a waste?
Not to mention the 3 or more hours spent? .
And the traffic congestion, stress, pollution caused?
With petrol properly priced, not even a lunatic would try it. Government would have mo choice but to sit up and seriously address these matters with the interest of the broad generality of our People in mind.
Driving that your exquisite automobile, status symbol or not, would return to be a weekend or long-distance travel exercise cost-effective with multiple passengers. Perhaps the government would finally fix our roads instead of shoveling the money into well-connected private pockets. . Pray, when will they finish and HANDS-OFF the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway. A young lad born the day the first concrete was poured, woukd have gotten married by now, so deliberately slow that project has been. We just cannot continue this way, can we?
One final thing, WE MAY FINALLY BE ABLE TO STOP THIS INCREDIBLE BORROWING SPREE. It is amazing how both the Minister of Finance and the Director of the FG Debt Management Office have been groomed to flippantly present this aberration to the public as NORMAL.
God forbid bad thing!
WITHOUT SUBSIDY PETROL’LL COST N462/LTR, SAYS NNPCL(?).
Oduche Azih,
Lagos
LATEST POSTS
- Pastor cousin of Star Wars actor will be deported after his ‘cult-like’ church was shut down over an alleged £1.87million fraud
- Senate Confirms Oluyede As Chief Of Army Staff
- South Africa Relaxes Visa Rules For Nigerian Investors, Tourists
- Nigeria’s tax reform bill: A test of governance and equity
- DNA: Nigeria Introduces Next-Generation Sequencing Technology To Tackle Paternity Fraud
SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER NOW
TEXT AD: To advertise here – Email ad@matazarising.com
){kind=link}