COMMENT: The fresh cries of hardship over fuel scarcity, food price hike in Nigeria

By BASHIR ADEFAKA

As the indefensible fuel scarcity continues to afflict Nigerians in a country much touted the largest economy and giant of Africa, movement and feeding have become harder.

These happen due to the shortage of fuel in circulation amidst claims by central government that its removal of fuel subsidy would not only make fuel available to all but also savings made from the policy would provide surplus money to fix other sectors of the economy.

Although market pointers indicate that the government has continued to pay fuel subsidy to the tune of over N1 trillion per month to make fuel sold for betweeen N595 and N750 – unprecedentedly 500 percent, which the pointers claim makes fuel cheaper in Nigeria than United States of America, Republic of Benin, Ghana among others, ques at filling stations have refused to end for larger part of the 11 months of the Bola Tinubu administration.

The worries of many are the unexplained position of things as to whether or not Nigeria is truly now a subsidy-free country or a nation living on subsidised energy system.

During President Muhammadu Buhari era that Nigeria openly paid fuel subsidy of around N64 billion per month, pump price was pegged first at N145 and later N185 for the whole of eight years of administration of the Daura, Katsina State-born leader, who had also earlier rul3d the country as no-nonsense Military Head of State between January 1984 and July 1985.

Buhari was known for rejecting suggestion of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB), the westernised economic bodies that had wanted him to remove fuel subsidy and devalue the Naira against their dollar.

President Buhari, who was represented by his Ministers of Finance, first Kemi Adeosun and second Aisha Bello, at some of the western meetings, had insisted that removing fuel subsidy would push harder the already obvious hardship that his people suffered.

Buhari remains the only Nigerian non-presidential public officer, who used his position as Federal Commissioner for Petroleum under Military Head of State Olusegun Obasanjo to build the only four refineries Nigeria has had in history and so far.

On his return to power, this time as an agbada wearing democratically elected President 30 years after leaving office following Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida coup, he fulfilled his campaign promise to revive the already abandoned refineries, ethnicity and religion based hate would not allow some sections of the country give him support as they took side with Niger Delta Avengers, who were generally believed to be avenging his defeat of their man, Goodluck Jonathan, from power following the 2015 presidential election.

It became worse that a pipeline would be bombed and it cost the country N1 billion to repair meaning that both Federal Government at 60 percent stake and Shell its NNPC’s partner operator of the oil sector at 40 percent would repair each of the pipelines at N600 million and N400 million unexpected costs.

They were several numbers of those pipelines bombed and President Buhari’s decision to deploy military to the oil region to stop the saboteurs of nation’s economic cash cow (oil) was vehemently resisted by Nigerians across South West, South South and South East with then Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayode, former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode and Femi Falana (SAN) taking the lead.

They dominated the Nigerian press with threats to drag the then President before the International Criminal Court (ICC), while the west laid in wait to institute anti-human rights charges or campaigns against his government.

It will be recalled that Buhari’s government was one in long history that Nigerians coukd call their own as it was one they effortlessly lined in rain and sun and slept in polling stations to elect into office in 2015 February presidential election, thus the need to leave the people to themselves although some Nigerians pretend today not to know this recent history.

President Buhari, as part of his efforts to save the country from dollar imposed economic hardship in Nigeria, disconnected the country largely on military and infrastructure needs as he went and signed currency pact to enable direct trade with China, which makes Nigerian importers, who buy products in the Peoples Republic pay in Yuan (¥) which was then N34 to ¥1 at a time Nigerian importers paid N341 (official) and N560 (black market) to buy $1.

The United States-led West never let the implementation worked although it still exists. On security, Buhari paid several billions of dollars to to America to buy Tucano planes to fight Boko Haram and later bandits. The same America would not let him the use of same as it was more inter3sted in the fundamental human rights of the same terrorists it would stop at nothing to destroy in the interest of itself.

It took Buhari’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), to take the matter of bandits to court for declaration of tge criminals as terrorists before America was defeated by Buhari administration in his bid to fight bandits which he did mercilessly until he left office in May 2023. Needless to mention some in South claiming Buhari did not fight Boko Haram and bandits because they were Fulani. It was uncharitable, unpatriotic and wicked to so claim.

To the same West and its economic agencies, IMF and World Bank Tinubu returned Nigeria the moment he came into power and the underlining effects explain the untold hardships Nigerians go through today.

Members of his government have tried to say Nigeria is still much more to better as what is experienced here is global. But pointers from many global societies claim them untrue. Much as it is true that the rich also cry, life is still far better in the West, Islamic World and Asian countries because, according to analysts, insincerity of leadership and citizens operating the market economy of Nigeria will not make country better in long time to come unless a drastic measure is taken by the Establishment to rescue the situation.

The situation in Nigeria is indefensibly unacceptable because, even there are many African countries where living is not as bad as it is here. Although the West still have their stooge in most of the African countries as attested to by newly elected President of Senegal Bassirou Diomaye Faye, law remains law therein and there is no place for officially empowered hoolliganism, mediocre, hoodlums and thuggery as it is the case here in Nigeria. It is not right to tell anyone in civilised world that hoodlums have power more than the constitutionally established police in Nigeria.