Politics
Oil Subsidy’s Many Contradictions
The debate on the subsidy regime thrown up by the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government and the resultant nation-wide strike and protests by organized labour and civil society groups is far from being over, as the issue is still on the front burner of national discourse.
At the National Assembly, for instance, the House of Representatives’ Ad-hoc committee on the subsidy regime concluded its indebt probe a fortnight ago and is currently putting its report together, while the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Down stream) resumed its suspended public hearing on the sector last week. At both the House probe and Senate public hearing, the nation was treated to startling revelations that shocked not a few.
As the nation awaits the separate reports of both Houses of the National Assembly, The Tide took up issues arising from the probe with the sole sponsor of the motion on subsidy in the House, Hon. Kingsley Ogundu Chinda. A frontline member of the 7th National Assembly (Vice Chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise) Hon. Chinda told The Tide that he sees contradictions in the handling of the fuel subsidy regime in the country and the entire imbroglio should be tackled frontally, and he tasked the government on this.
“So far, investigation by the House ad-hoc committee has been concluded and startling facts were revealed; the report of the committee will be made and forwarded to the Executive arm for action. I hope and pray that the Executive arm, in the interest of the nation, will act on the report expeditiously and not allowed the report rot on the shelve like many other reports,” he said.
The Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency (Rivers State) legislator said it was good that President Jonathan in fulfillment of his promise of creating employment with the money saved from subsidy, launched the government’s employment programme last week by inaugurating the implementation committee.
He acknowledged that the Dr. Christopher Kolade-led committee is empowered to manage proceeds from the subsidy, but added, “Let me say clearly that there are several contradictions in the system. Nigeria is still borrowing as we speak and appears to be poised to continue borrowing .
“We were informed that the country borrowed to fund fuel subsidy in 2011. If we stop subsidy payment, what we would have achieved is that we would have stopped borrowing. The issue of reinvesting the fund is illogical and contradictory. There are places in this country where fuel sells for N500 per litre as we speak. One of such places is Mr. President’s home state (Bayelsa)”, he lamented, adding persuasively, “something needs to be done.
“Government needs to gain citizens’ confidence and get them to buy into government policies. This can only be achieved if government is transparent and operates strictly by laid down rules that are clearly predictable.” He continued: “As I stated earlier at the heat of the subsidy removal, ‘for systems of administration or policies of government, let fools contend; what is best administered is best in any society’. What this means is that: It’s not the removal of subsidy that is the crux of the matter but it’s effective administration; it is not the policy but the administration of the policy that matters. That is why a policy can work in Ghana and may not work in Nigeria.
“Again, when national issues are discussed, people take regional and ethnic positions and abandon the nation; even among very highly placed officers, you see more of Ikwerre, Ibo, Yoruba, Hausa or Ijaw opinion or agenda, than the Nigerian project. All I will say is that we do not have a true Nigerian nation. What ww have is an amalgam of various nationalities. I pray that we begin to produce true Nigerians with Nigerian spirit, Nigerian orientation and Nigerian interest to get us out of this quagmire”.
The Tide asked Chinda of his input into the security puzzle that has bedeviled the nation and he drew The Tide’s attention to his recent motion on the prevailing security situation. Titled: ‘Need to urgently investigate and check the rising security challenges in the country’, the motion tasked the Federal Government to come up with a clear programme, solution, and/or policy on how to tackle the problem and not just to beg the problem or adopt a fire brigade measure.
Drawing example from late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s amnesty programme, which was instituted to quell the security challenges the nation was facing at the time from Niger Delta militants, Chinda said, “Now, I’m yet to see a clear programme on how to tackle the upheaval, We must come up with a clear programme on how to tackle the security challenges”.
The just-concluded 2012 budget defence of federal MDA’s at the National Assembly is one issue that cannot escape mention, especially since some committees embarked on a tour of some of these MDA’s before approving their budgets.
The Tide asked Hon Chinda, who led his Customs and Excise committee along with the chairman, Hon Sabo Nakudu on a tour of the Customs, their areas of operation, as part of their oversight function, on the committee’s discovery.
According to him, “We discovered during our oversight visit that our ports are heavily under-utilized, They are colossal wastes!” To this end, he has a motion before the House, mandating government to ‘put our ports to full use’.
There is also the issue of failed contract in the sector and already the erudite legislator has come up with a motion on that, titled : “ Failed contract for dredging of the Calabar channel and the Port Harcourt ports”.
He said there was need to re-award the contracts and put the channel and ports on sound footing so that they can generate more revenue to the Federal Government and create room for wealth creation in the region.”
He continued: “There is also need to connect Onne port to the National grid. It is disturbing that Onne port is not connected to the national grid till now; this is a misnomer. We also observed that fixed scanners were supposed to be installed at Onne and Port Harcourt ports but they are not there. Work has just started to fix the scanners and this is the last year of the five (%) year contract with SGS.
“Nigerians lost the opportunity of using the scanners for the duration of the 5 years contract and SGS is not likely to be there after this year to properly conclude the installation and testing of the scanners unless their contract is renewed. These anomalies should be corrected. I have motions before the House to properly empower the Committee to effectively deal with the situation”.
In addition, “We discovered that the employment pattern in the Nigeria Customs appears to be lop-sided and not in compliance with the constitutional provision for geographical spread. The Committee on Customs is recently working on that and we can say that we have received the assurance of the management of Nigerian Customs to correct the anomaly which has existed over the years.
“Also we discovered that state governments, particularly border states, do not pay attention to Nigeria Customs as one of the security agencies in the country. Nigerian Customs is supposed to protect borders and ensure that illegal goods, fire arms and explosives are not moved into the country. What it means is that they’ll be faced with the challenge of fighting criminals and high-class smugglers.
They, therefore, need proper equipment and they ought to be knitted fully to face the challenges,” he had expressing regret that while State Governments support the Police and other security agencies by providing operational vehicles and allowances, this goodwill is not extended to the Nigeria Custom.”
He that they observed in the course of the oversight function the commendable changes going on in the Nigerian Customs noting that the operations of custom are being digitalised making room for easy monitoring of the Customs and increases transparency, particularly in revenue collection in form of Excise duties, which accounts for the over 100% increase in revenue generated in 2011.
“There’s also concerted efforts to ensure speedy clearance of goods at the wharf. In this light, I’ll urge Nigerians to co-operate with the Agency and also report all cases of extortion or inordinate delay by the custom to the appropriate quarters, either the Controller – General’s office or the House Committee on Customs and Excise”, he said.
Justus Awaji, Abuja
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday brushed aside the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja which ordered him to stay proceedings in a suit that sought deregistration of the African Democratic Party (ADC), Accord Party and three others.
The Court of Appeal in a unanimous decision of a panel of three Justices had on May 22, 2026 directed the Federal High Court Judge not to proceed with the suit until an appeal pending before them and filed by Accord Party is resolved.
In a Certified True Copy Enrol Order of the Superior Court, Justices Mohammed Danjuma, Adebukola Banjoko and Oyejoju Oyewumi asked the lower Court Judge to stay proceedings until all issues on the appeal filed by the Accord Party were resolved
Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State had, through the Accord Party, applied to justice Lifu to join him as a defendant in the deregistration legal battle instituted by a group of former legislators.
The contention of the Osun State governor was that he had a stake in the Accord Party, being the platform he was seeking re-election in the August 15 gubernatorial poll in the state.
In his ruling, Justice Lifu on April 27 ruled against the Osun State governor, rejecting his request to be joined in the suit to defend his own position and interest.
Not satisfied with the Federal High Court decision, the Osun State governor, through his lawyer, Musibau Adetunbi (SAN), moved to the Court of Appeal in Abuja where he challenged the Justice Lifu decision to refuse to allow him join the suit.
After listening to the argument canvassed, especially that he has interest to protect as Accord Party gubernatorial candidate for Osun State governorship election, the three Justices of the Court of Appeal, unanimously directed Justice Lifu to allow them look into the grievances of the governor.
In specific terms, the Court of Appeal Justices directed Justice Lifu not to proceed further with the matter and fixed October 27 to determine the interlocutory appeal of the appellant.
However, when the certified enroll order and notice of appeal were served on Justice Peter Lifu by Mr Adetunbi (SAN), the judge rejected it on the ground that it was a ploy to arrest his judgment in the matter.
Although the judge had adjourned his judgment delivery in the matter indefinitely, he finally made a dramatic turn around on Monday and proceeded to deliver the judgment that has now proscribed the five political parties.
Actor turned politician, Mr Kenneth Okonkwo, has rejected the choice of former Rivers State Governor, Mr Rotimi Amaechi, as the running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a statement on Monday, Mallam Bolaji Abdulllahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the ADC, announced the party’s choice of Mr Amaechi.
However in a statement, Mr Okonkwo said that the choice of Mr Amaechi from the South South strengthens the continued marginalization of people from the South East.
According to the former spokesperson of the Labour Party, any arrangement that would not factor a person from the South East either as president or vice president in the party is anti-Igbo.
He contended that Chief Raph Nwosu, who founded the ADC in 2005 and willingly surrendered it’s leadership to Senator David Mark did not do so to entrench Igbo marginalization in the party.
The former actor said: “I heard from the social media that ADC has picked its vice presidential candidate from the South-South. If this is true, it is unfortunate, as this will continue the crude marginalisation of the South-East.
“This geo-political zone has neither produced a president or vice president since 1999. To deny the South-East the opportunity to produce the president or vice president in the ADC in 2027, will amount to perpetuating the marginalisation.
“The ADC was founded by Ralphs Nwosu from the South-East in 2005. He made the sacrifice to give up the party in 2025 for the coalition to usher in a better Nigeria. He couldn’t have made that sacrifice to marginalise his own people.
“I did not join the coalition to assist in marginalisation of my own people further. I am of the opinion that if we made a sacrifice to give up the national chairman and the president, it will amount to unpardonable injustice to deny us the vice president in 2027.
“I joined politics to fight for a better Nigeria where no region, geo-political zone, or person will be marginalised.
“The only favour I asked Atiku Abubakar, who openly declared that he is the pathway to the presidency of the South-East, is to show it by choosing someone from the South-East to be his vice.
“If it is confirmed that he has chosen a candidate from the South-South, I wish him well. I am not favourably disposed to campaigning for any presidential ticket that does not have a person of South-East origin as president or vice in 2027”
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, on Monday said that the numerous projects being executed by President Bola Tinubu across the states in the southeast will give him upper hand over other presidential candidates during next year’s general elections.
Prof. Yilwatda stated this at the Abakaliki Township Stadium during a mega rally organized by the Ebonyi State government and Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, during which President Tinubu and other APC candidates for the 2027 general elections were adopted.
According to the APC National Chairman, no President had done for the southeast region what President Tinubu has done for them and expressed the confidence that the president would not only win in Ebonyi State but in the entire South East.
Prof. Yilwatda also used the occasion to address growing insinuations in some quarters that Ebonyi State had been conceded to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Dismissing the claim, Prof. Yilwatda said the state would not allow the PDP to win any position in the forthcoming general election.
“We will return President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Francis Nwifuru as Governor of Ebonyi State in 2027.
“We want to return all APC senators, members of the House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates in 2027.
“Nobody has conceded Ebonyi to the PDP. Therefore, there is no vacancy in Ebonyi State. Ebonyi PDP has no place, and there is no vacancy at all in the Government House come 2027,” the APC National Chairman declared.
He commended the people of the state for their support for President Tinubu and urged them to re-elect him in the next presidential election in appreciation of what he has done for the state and the entire South-East through infrastructural transformation and human capital development.
Governor Francis Nwifuru, who also spoke at the event, said the state had no other presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections apart from President Tinubu.
He declared that Ebonyi remained a stronghold of the APC and vowed that the party would deliver the President in the state.
Gov. Nwifuru said President Tinubu had shown exceptional commitment to the state and deserved total support for appointing Senator Umahi as Minister of Works, a role he said Senator Umahi had performed creditably.
“Ebonyi has no other presidential candidate apart from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and we will return him in the presidential election.
“We are standing here today to tell the whole world, especially those using the President’s name to orchestrate division and confusion in this great state, that we have only one party, and that is the APC.
“This statement became necessary because some people are going around claiming they have discussed with Mr President and that he has handed Ebonyi over to the PDP. They are also saying that Chief Nyesom Wike is their leader and that Wike said the President has given Ebonyi to him.
“Ebonyi is not for sale. We are restraining ourselves because the people are with us. Nobody should push us because we have what it takes to confront anyone trying to destabilise us.
“We want to tell Mr President that he has earned our votes. He gave us what we had never had in Eastern Nigeria — the office of the Minister of Works. And this Minister of Works is not sitting idle; he is working,” he stated.
Senator Umahi, in his remarks, said President Tinubu had done what no other President had done for Ebonyi State and the entire South-East by executing numerous projects across the state and the region.
“Ebonyi State is a one-party state under Governor Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru. We are not going to repeat the mistakes of the past.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has done a lot, not just for Ebonyi State but for the entire South-East and other geopolitical zones,” he said.