Rep Defends Jonathan On Fuel Pump Price

Against the backdrop of the suit filed by some eminent Nigerians, praying the court to declare the hike in the pump price of  the fuel by the Federal Government illegal and compel President Goodluck Jonathan to revert to N65 pr litre, a member of the House of Representatives has risen in stout defence of the President’s action.

While commenting on  the suit, the member, Hon. Maurice Pronen, who represents Khana/Gokana Federal Constituency of Rivers State, said it was imperative for President Jonathan to act the way he acted because the economic indices on ground favoured it, and any one in his shoes would do likewise.

Some eminent Nigerians seeking to revert the pump price from N79 to N65, led by renowned constitutional lawyer, Prof Ben Nwabueze, Leader of Nigeria Advanced Party (NAP), Dr Tunji Braithwaite and former Finance Minister and World Bank Economist, Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, filed the suit penultimate week.

But Hon Pronen said, “Looking at the situation now, it’s imperative to go the way we’re going – N97. Government is magnanimous to bring it down to N97 (from the N141 the government increased it to initially)”.

Pronen, who spoke with The Tide, added, “The understanding between the President and labour that brought about the N79 per litre price regimes is commended.

“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a good concession by the Federal Government, because as far as this subsidy issue is concerned, my heart goes with the populace that has to bear the pains but my mind goes along with the government for the subsidy removal”.

He expressed the belief that the Federal Government is not out to inflict pains on the populace, saying that it is in the best interest of the nation to subsidise consumption.

He explained that subsidy removal is a hard decision to make, hence successive administrations had shied away from it, saying that President Jonathan should be commended for his courage in making such a decision, rather than being castigated directly or indirectly, because “if we don’t take decision, we’ll be compelled some day to suffer the effect of not taking this decision”.

He therefore appealed to the eminent citizens to “thread softly on the issue”, and the masses, not to do any thing untoward to sabotage the efforts of the government at putting lasting smiles on the faces of Nigerians as every one is feeling the pains of deregulation.

“Big men suffer it most economically…The measure of your pocket is equivalent to the measure of your expenses; the more that comes into your pocket, the more exit it has”, he said.

The House of Reps’ member however sympathised with those who have no source of income but still has to cope with the pains of deregulation which is one of the points on which the eminent citizens hinged their suit.