Politics
Political Intrigues Of Subsidy Removal
In the past, several
attempts have been made to deregulate the downstream sector of the oil industry and this date back to the military era in the governance of Nigeria.
The former military President, General Ibrahim Badamesi Babaginda in 1986 engaged Nigerians in an elaborate debate over proposal for the International Monetary Fund (IMF) loan and the deregulation of the Petroleum Sector. The debate coordinated by the then Minister of Finance Kalu Idika Kalu generated interest among Nigerians as they argued for and against the intention of the government.
Like the President Goodluck Jonathan’s New Year’s gift to Nigerians, the idea which was absolutely rejected by majority of Nigerians inspite of government’s persuasion. Unfortunately the nationwide disapproval could not stop the Federal government from accessing the loan while the heat on deregulation defiled the Khaki, boot and gun to subsist with resultant increase in the pump price of petroleum products.
That was the scenario by successive administrations and even the born again democratic Olusegun Obasanjo merely settled for an increase in the pump price until the advent of Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who took the bull by the horn and on January 1,2012; announced the total removal of petroleum subsidy.
As expected the pronouncement made the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to issue an ultimatum to the Federal government to revert to the old pump price regime of N65,00 per litre or face industrial dispute beginning from January 9.
The Federal government quickly constituted the Alfa Belgore Committee to dialogue with the organised labour in addition to a court injunction to stop the strike, but Labour leaders ignored the moves and went ahead with the strike which paralysed economic activities throughout the country for one week, putting government business to a halt.
However, Nigerians expressed mixed feelings over the large heart of the president in venturing to tread where others scared particularly coming after his speech at the Inter denominational service organized to mark the nation’s 51st independence anniversary at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, in October 2011.
President Jonathan told Nigerians, who had been expecting more drastic measures in the process of addressing the nation’s numerous problems such as the insecurity challenges posed by the Boko Haram religious sect to hold their breadth.
According to him, “some Nigerians still want the president to be a lion or a tiger; somebody that has that kind of strength, force and agility to make things happen the way they think. Some others will want the President to operate like an army general, like Chief of Army Staff commanding his troops.
Incidentally, I’m not a lion; I’m also not a general. Somebody will want the president to operate like the Kings of Syria, Babylon, Egypt and King Pharaoh – all powerful people that we all read about in the Bible”.
Surprisely, President Jonathan mustered enough political sagacity to announce subsidy removal that ultimately took the organised labour and civil society organisations to the streets to protest the action of the government.
Sensing that politicians had hijacked the process to vent their political misfortune on the ruling government, the organized labour leaders demonstrated their commitment to the corporate existence of Nigeria by accepting to engage the authorities in further dialogue with the pegging of pump price of petrol at N97 per litre from the deregulated pump price of N141.00 per litre. The one week national strike adversely affected every sector of the Nigerian society hampering all forms of business transactions.
President Jonathan acted in the best interest of the nation but what was probably lacking in the subsidy issue was the timing of the implementation of the policy as enough sensitisation had not taken place. This is exemplified in his broadcast to the nation on Saturday January 7, when he announced 25 per cent cut in the salaries of government officials including his in addition to reduction in the number of oversea travels.
As a show of patriotism, and the zeal to make a difference in the governance of the country must have motivated him as well as the need to fulfil his electioneering campaign promises, to the people when he said “we must act in the public interest no matter how tough, for the pains of today cannot be compared to the benefit of tomorrow”.
Realizing that the continued subsidy regime, was benefitting a few rich persons to the detriment of the common people with the attendant paucity of resources to provide essential basic infrastructure in the critical sectors of power, health, education, transport and so on, the president introduced palliatives to cushion the effect of the stark realities of the policy direction in repositioning the country for growth.
President Jonathan, being the first Niger Delta indigene to occupy such exalted office has vowed not to disappoint the region, the party and indeed Nigerians for electing him in April 2011.
Analyst believe that no political party as presently constituted in Nigeria is capable of giving the people a new lease of life if the current high level of corruption, insecurity and ethnic milieu continue to play out. The promised land Nigerians longed for will remain elusive, a mere mirage, unless the unity that has kept us together is incontrovertibly expressed in action.
History does not only teach about past events, it equally teaches that at every key moment in life, people must rise to position their collective destiny in proper perspective.
It is often said that a day makes a difference in politics and the agents of anarchy having failed to use the subsidy removal protest to destabilise the nation, have resumed the bombing and killing of innocent Nigerians.
No doubt, the insecurity created by the activities of Boko Haram religious sect is perilous, perfidious and dangerously bringing Nigeria close to disintegration if nothing is done fast. The rising incidents of religious intolerance and inter ethnic hatred as well as discrimination have challenged the age long notion that Nigeria is a united, multi-religious, multi ethnic and multi cultural country enjoying unity in diversity.
There is no gainsaying the fact that no nation can advance economically and politically on the platform of instability. President Jonathan in reacting to the several bombings in the country, promise that the perpetrators would be brought to book but he appears to be helpless when he admitted that members of the Boko Haram sect had infiltrated his government. Consequently, the escape of top Boko Haram suspect, Kabir Sokoto alleged to be the mastermind of the Christmas Day bombing in St Theresa’s Catholic Church Madalla, Niger State from Police detention collaborates the President’s position.
It is alleged that those against Jonathan’s Presidency are seriously at work doing all within their reach to create disaffection. The President did not realise the move when his first proposal for a single tenure term to reduce cost and crisis associated with second tenure described largely as selfish and self-serving in some quarters and no sooner the idea was tabled in public domain than it was put in the cooler.
The proposed constitutional review before the National Assembly is another issue attracting wide and divergent views. They include those calling for sovereign national conference, true fiscal federalism, constitutional reform, ethnic nationality conference and even a Referendum – irked by the menace of Boko Haram activities, the National President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum Alhaji Yerima Shettima on Wednesday last week blamed the “Northern oligarchy” for the recurring cases of Boko Haram and called for an urgent convocation of a Sovereign National Conference (SNC) to avoid disintegration of the country.
Obviously, the sentiments expressed by the Northern Youth Leader confirms the agitation of the Niger Delta people in calling for a fiscal federalism and the holding of a sovereign national conference of all ethnic nationalities as the panacea to the problems of Nigeria because it would afford everyone the opportunity to state the terms of coming together as a nation.
Governor Douye Diri has set a target of at least one million votes for President Bola Tinubu in Bayelsa State in the 2027 presidential election, while charging the newly inaugurated All Progressives Congress (APC) State Campaign Council to prioritise reconciliation, party unity and collective electoral mobilisation.
Governor Diri gave the charge at the inauguration of the 20-member campaign council at the APC secretariat in Yenagoa, where he warned that internal divisions could undermine the party’s efforts to secure victory for President Tinubu and other candidates at the federal and state levels.
Governor Diri urged party members who were not appointed to the council to support its activities by taking the APC’s message to communities, wards and polling units across the state.
He specifically charged the campaign team to mobilise at least one million votes for President Tinubu, arguing that Bayelsa’s voting strength had increased and should be reflected in the 2027 election results.
“I give you a target that in Bayelsa, we must not bring less than one million votes for Mr President. You are going to campaign, and you have a lot to talk about the President. He has done so much for our people,” the governor said.
He listed the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the second phase of the Nembe-Brass Road, interventions in the power sector, federal appointments for Bayelsa indigenes and the establishment of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy among the achievements the campaign should present to voters.
The governor particularly praised President Tinubu for the coastal highway project, arguing that it reflected federal attention to the development needs of coastal communities.
“No president, alive or dead, has remembered the coastal people and coastal states to say let us do this signature project from Lagos to Calabar. The first president to think about it is Bola Tinubu, and those were the demands of the Ijaw people,” he said.
Governor Diri also expressed hope that a second term for President Tinubu would provide an opportunity to advance demands for fiscal federalism, greater resource control and state policing, which he described as longstanding aspirations of the Niger Delta.
He said the President had shown indications of addressing some of the demands of younger Nigerians and argued that re-election would allow the administration to consolidate its reforms.
The governor further cautioned campaigners against personal attacks and abusive exchanges with political opponents, insisting that the APC should focus its campaign on issues, policies and achievements.
The governor’s mobilisation directive comes amid criticism from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which has questioned his commitment to President Tinubu’s re-election campaign, alleging that APC campaign billboards erected across Yenagoa promote other party candidates without featuring the President.
The PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Mr Ikaebimo Mark, said the billboards showed Governor Diri urging voters to support APC candidates for the National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections without identifying President Tinubu as the party’s presidential candidate.
Mr Mark described the omission as an indication that the governor was not fully aligned with the APC’s national leadership.
“When we said that the governor, Senator Douye Diri, is not supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we knew exactly what we were saying. Now Governor Douye Diri has erected APC campaign billboards across Bayelsa State without Tinubu’s picture. He is even afraid to associate himself with the photograph of the presidential candidate of his own party. How can this governor claim to be supporting President Tinubu?” he said.
The PDP, however, maintained that the governor’s public campaign posture raised questions about his commitment to the President’s re-election bid. Its allegation over the billboards now places the issue of the relationship between the state APC leadership and the party’s national campaign among the political questions likely to feature in Bayelsa’s preparations for 2027.
The PDP’s allegation has introduced a fresh political dimension to the APC’s preparations in Bayelsa, even as Governor Diri publicly called on party leaders and members to close ranks and mobilise support for all its candidates.
“Every person picked as a member of this campaign council was carefully scrutinised. I want to tell you that our campaign team is loaded. We parade the best candidates among all the parties in Bayelsa State, and there is no doubt about that,” he said.
He urged members to remain focused and united, warning that political opponents could exploit any divisions within the party.
“Our unity is very important because they would want to feast on our disunity. We will not give them that opportunity. Please, as you carry out this assignment, do not take your eyes off the target,” Hon. Ogoriba said.
SP Edafe explained that during the meeting, the organisers were briefed on the identified security threats and advised against embarking on an open-road procession.
Instead, the police reportedly recommended that the political activities be conducted at a designated venue where adequate security arrangements could be provided.
However, the Command alleged that the organisers disregarded the security advice and proceeded with the road procession.
Meanwhile, the Delta State Government has condemned the political violence that erupted in Asaba, the state capital, on Saturday, confirming that one person was killed while four others sustained serious injuries.
The government described the incident as unfortunate and unacceptable, warning political parties and their supporters against actions capable of threatening public peace, security and democratic participation in the state.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Works (Rural Roads) and Public Information, Mr Charles Aniagwu, the government reiterated its zero tolerance for political violence, intimidation and other forms of political misconduct.
Mr Aniagwu said the government had repeatedly cautioned political parties against engaging in activities capable of disrupting the peace, insisting that the incident could have been avoided if the organisers had followed security advice.
According to him, the police had advised the organisers to cancel the proposed street march and instead conduct their political campaign at a designated venue where adequate security arrangements could be provided.
He expressed concern that the advice was allegedly disregarded, resulting in a confrontation that claimed one life and left four other people seriously injured.
The government subsequently called on the police to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the violence and ensure that anyone found culpable is brought to justice.
Mr Aniagwu further warned that the state government would not tolerate politically motivated attacks against any individual, regardless of political affiliation.
He maintained that Delta State remained safe for residents and visitors, stressing that the government would not allow the actions of individuals or groups to undermine the prevailing peace and security in the state.
The government also urged political parties, their leaders and supporters to conduct their political activities within the confines of the law and demonstrate respect for human life, public order and the rights of other citizens.
The latest development follows an attack on supporters of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) during a political procession in Asaba, which reportedly left several participants injured and campaign vehicles vandalised.
The government’s condemnation comes amid growing concerns over political violence and the safety of opposition supporters as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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