Bowo olateru-olagbegi
How to Remove Fuel Subsidy
Imagine a father comes home one day and calls his family members to inform them of his loss of income. He proceeded to inform them that henceforth, in order to conserve money, they will only have one meal a day. He however continues to have 3 square meals, drives around in his luxury car and drinks choice wine.
Your guess is as good as mine. They will most likely grumble and revolt.
Sacrifice must be shared! We cannot have the scenario in “Animal Farm”- where all animals are equal, but some are more equal than the others.” As long as the profligacy continues, it will be hard to sell subsidy removal, as desirable as it may seem.
What Must happen: A clear demonstration of the willingness by the new administration to cut the fat.
1. Sell off the presidential fleet of airplanes. These can be transferred to Aero Contractors or Air Peace. The presidency can lease from them as and when required. These then become a source of revenue rather than an expense item in the budget.
2. Cut off medical tourism. Anyone who must go on medical tourism pays out of pocket. There is no reason why each state can not build a state of the art hospital. Nigerian Doctors are all over the world in all disciplines. For our president to go to another country for medical tourism insults our sovereignty as a nation. Imagine the manager of a restaurant going out to have lunch in another restaurant because the quality of the food in his own is substandard. No one will respect him in the industry.
3. Cut off Governors security votes and half presidential, governors and legislators emoluments.
4. Reduce the cost of governance. The upkeep of those elected to serve can no longer be higher than the upkeep of those they are supposed to serve.
5. Privatize the remaining Refineries and let them run profitably by the private sector. These also will become a revenue source rather than an expense.
6. Run a transparent and equitable administration devoid of high governance costs. The Government must lead by example and demonstrate commitment to reduce profligacy.
The moment the people see a clear demonstration of this commitment, they will wholehearted embrace subsidy removal.
One of the ways to bring down the cost of governance
The two articles above
“Grabbing the bull by the horn” & “The dangers of subsidy removal” by the same Ugoji Egbujo and Farooq Kperogi seems contradictory.
Though written at different periods with sentimental dispositions.
One of the critical panacea to resolving the crises and the painful consequences of subsidy removal is to reduce the cost of governance by 50% across be board. The Nigerian masses cannot continue to bear the cost for very few people in government.
Currently I don’t see the need for a bicameral legislature in Nigeria.
A unicameral legislature would save cost for Nigeria, ditto for other executive structures.
Senegal restructured to a unicameral legislature 7 years ago when she could no longer finance her public cost.
Nigeria can toe this line too, with the initiation of a referendum to scrap the House of Representatives.
We just need an expanded Senate on equal representation and jettison the House of Representatives.
It was the military that imposed it on us and we could restructure to suit current day realities.
Not only the poor should bear the cost of everything. The elites too must bear the cost.
We need an equitable society. The House of Representatives have 360 members draining our resources to trillions of naira yearly. This would save us funds greatly.
Afterall, President Tinubu created 37 additional LGCA in 2002 in Lagos State with a referendum, but failed to be recognised by the constitution, yet it has been practicalised since 2002 to date and workable for Lagos State.
If Senegal can do it Nigeria can also do it! – Contributor 1
Alongside the military induced constitution, there is a case for proper fiscal federalism and regional autonomy.
A constitutional amendment can be done to restructure the unicameral legislature. The members can be increased to a maximum of probably 4-5 per state.
We just need an expanded Senate on equal representation and jettison the House of Representatives.
Again, not only the poor should bear the cost of everything. The elites too must bear the cost .
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/09/senegal-parliament-votes-to-scrap-senate/
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