By Sunday John
ONCE again, the issue of fuel subsidy has come to the crucible of
socio-economic life of Nigerians. Politics of fuel subsidy withdrawal has been
a recurring issue over the years, from the time of General Yakubu Gowon as head
of state. No government has come without harassing and intimidating Nigerians
with fuel pump price increase and/or complete removal of fuel subsidy,
otherwise called deregulation. It appears to have become a pastime for our
rulers especially when they want to make scapegoats for their corruption,
failures and economic naivety.
All governance ineptitude by the political rulers are heaped on fuel
subsidy. It is the reason for the country’s backwardness, abysmal
infrastructure, debt burden, poverty, corruption, etc. That is the reason the
populace is intermittently administered with some obsolete concoctions of the
benefits of subsidy removal by every successive government. Buhari may not have
engaged in this sophistry of the benefits of subsidy removal because of some
want of oratory. Indeed, as long as fuel subsidy is concerned, Nigerians have
gone through a lot of torture in the hands of various governments. We have been
harassed, tormented and bamboozled.
Protests against fuel pump price increase/subsidy removal have
cost lives, wastage and destructions. The ruling class are, of course, not the
victims. The victims are the commoners, on whom they unleash their mediocrity
and sadism. Like the ancient Roman emperors, the governments of Nigeria revel in seeing their subjects fight
with the beast of subsidy now and again in the amphitheater.
It is entertainment for them to hear us cry, see us abandon our
legitimate duties and spill to the streets in protest, and our children roam
the streets because schools are shut. Otherwise, how can a president or the
ruling class that say they understand our pains add to the same pains instead
of ameliorating it? The government knows that petroleum products, especially
the Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, is one thing that affects the lives of all Nigerians
irrespective of their social status or age. All aspects of life is based on it,
and that is why the people do not react happily to any tampering with its
price. With a high currency exchange rate that has triggered inflation and put
private businesses at risk, the removal of fuel subsidy at this time is nothing
but rubbing salt in a putrefying sore.
