| Re: . by Ngwakwe: 8:38am On Oct 21, 2014 |
FG: No Alternative to Fuel Subsidy Removal
05 Jan 2012
President Goodluck Jonathan
By Ahamefula Ogbu
‘Pain Killers’
• 1600 mass transit buses
• Salaries to be paid Jan 20
• States to get allocations Jan 15
• Local contractors to be paid
• Rail transportation being revived
• MDAs to fill up vacancies quickly
The Federal Government has asked Nigerians for understanding over the deregulation policy, saying there is no alternative to the removal of fuel subsidy.
It promised to provide sustainable palliatives to cushion the effects of the policy.
Briefing State House correspondents after an emergency meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) yesterday, Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, said the government was not willing to postpone the evil day by indulging in half measures, while the economy collapses on everybody.
Rather, the government appealed to labour and other protesters to withdraw from the streets to prevent avoidable deaths and increasing the suffering of people.
He said: “Previous governments have postponed deregulation. The intended benefits did not come through because for as long as government continues to monopolise the sector, no private sector will come in and invest in it.
“Having taken this plunge, to go back will be to cripple the economy. That is why we are calling on our citizens to bear with us. In no time, the prices will come down unlike in the past where marketers used to hoard fuel because government was subsidising. That would no longer be the case. The customer will be king now, because if they (marketers) don't sell, they won't recover their money.”
He said apart from the N10 billion earlier provided for urban transportation through the Urban Development Bank, the Goodluck Jonathan administration had placed an order for 1,600 mass transit buses that would be arriving “in the next few days” to ensure a sustainable mass transit that would ease the pains of movement.
Apart from that, he said concentrating on revamping rail transportation, which had reached an advanced stage, would give some respite to roads.
When the construction of a modern rail line is completed, he said, the current single gauge would be dedicated to movement of goods.
Jonathan, he said, had directed that all civil servants should be paid their salaries by January 20, while the monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) meeting should be brought forward to January 15 so that funds for payment of salaries would be disbursed on time.
To ensure that those in the private sector also feel the ease of their palliatives, Jonathan directed that debts owed local contractors by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are compiled and paid so as to empower them to have funds to attend to their needs.
Apparently responding to the charge that the timing of the subsidy removal was harsh on the people, he said that measures to cushion the effects of deregulation started way back in 2009.
Maku said since several consultations had held between the time the government openly mooted the idea and the time of the submission of 2012 budget which had no provision for subsidy, the populace ought to have known that technically, “subsidy had been removed starting from when the budget was supposed to operate”.
He spoke on the other issues discussed at FEC, including a review of the security situation in the country.
He said all efforts were being made by the government to secure all parts of the country, especially the North-east and North-central where security threats and breaches were commonplace.
Maku dismissed the ultimatum given to Christians and Southerners in the North to leave the region as mere threats “to create panic”.
“The meeting was called by Mr. President to deliberate on very crucial issues of national significance particularly on the continuing battle to restore order in the North-eastern and other parts of the country affected by recent terror attacks as well as on-going deregulation of the downstream sector of the Nigerian petroleum industry.
“Mr. President in opening the meeting expressed deep seated sympathy and empathy with the citizens of this country particularly over the measures government has taken in the last couple of days to deregulate the downstream sector of the Nigerian oil industry. Mr. President is deeply touched also by the pains that citizens are going through because of the temporary jump in the prices of petroleum products as well as transportation in most parts of the country.
“Mr. President therefore called this FEC meeting to expedite action on measures to alleviate these pains which citizens are going through. He made it very clear that as the President of Nigeria, his role as president is to ensure that the welfare of Nigerians as well as the growth and development of this country become his major goals and that is exactly what he is pursuing. Mr. President therefore told members of council about measures the administration is already taking particularly to address the issue of mass transit in the country in order to bring down the cost of transport fares and alleviate the discomfort and pains citizens are going through at the moment.
“Mr. President therefore announced to council that already government has placed orders for massive supply of diesel engine mass transit vehicles. Conclusions have been reached with the private sector with key stakeholders in the public transport system including those transport organisations that are run directly by the Nigerian Labour Congress as well as the Trade Union Congress, the Road Transport Workers Union of Nigeria (NARTO) cooperatives and several other transporters in the federation to ensure that in the next couple of weeks, they will be available in this country sufficient numbers of mass transit vehicles which will be supplied duty free to transporters.
“The intervention in the mass transit system is going to be far more comprehensive and far more sustainable than whatever had been in this country in the past. So Mr. President directed that this programme of massive intervention in mass transit transportation will go on for two years and government is prepared to sustain this tempo to ensure that by the end of February this year, we should have achieved significant stabilisation in the cost of public transportation across the country,” Maku said.
He disclosed that the president further directed that every ministry, department and agency which has outstanding vacancies to be filled should immediately open up such vacancies for filling so that unemployed Nigerians could have a better life.
However, it was decided that primary suppliers of the vehicles would be companies which have production facilities in Nigeria; though where the capacity is not enough, the second option would be to import them.
But the beneficiaries would be those who have infrastructure on ground to run such transport system creditably so that by the end of next month, the volatile transport system would have stabilised for Nigerians to know that the government had a definite direction in attending to their needs, he said.
To add to other measures being put in place, the minister said the president also directed the fast-tracking of the implementation of the subsidy reinvestment programme which he had announced Dr. Christopher Kolade as chairman of the board, pointing out that the interest of Nigerians was at the heart of the matter and called on citizens to “endure short time pain for long time gains”.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/fg-no-alternative-to-fuel-subsidy-removal/106479/
This was the Master plan drawn by the President assuming he gets extra (N141 - 65 = N76) which ended in extra N22 after the negotiations. Let's look at the promises and divide them by a three and half to judge Mr President. Don't be mathematically impotent like the Students of Lai Mohammed who have mastered the craft of dubious Lies to bewitch Nigerians. 1. The FG took Loan from Bank to place an order for 1600 buses but unfortunately the subsidy projection failed and the order terminated, and moreover some buses were bought by the Government but were under NURTW attack. Abuja:Touts attack new palliative mass transit buses  http://newsdiaryonline.com/fct_buses.htmm.html 2. The second promise is revamping of Rail Transportation - that is being done. 3. Federal Government Workers Salaries are being paid 4. Local Contractors are paid as captured in every national budget 5. MDA fill up vacancies - Failed 6. Implementation of SURE-P in alleviating extreme poverty is a plus. Judging the above Master plan with the 27% subsidy windfall as the scorecard when juxtaposed by the achievements gives you the Presidents actual score. Some eminent Nigerians knew the Master plan wasn't to be as proposed hence Pat Utomi appeal to government to implement it Pat Utomi Even though the Federal Government's plans to completely deregulate the down stream sector and remove the subsidy on petroleum products was not completely successful (seeing as the FG was forced to reduce the price from 141 to 97 Naira proving my point that it was a tax on petrol and not subsidy removal as claimed) I would urge the government to ensure that the palliatives it promised are Put in place (even though the expected revenue has reduced)because the poorest of the poor need a safety net to cope with the inflation that came about with the increase. Governor Amaechi On Fuel Subsidy Removal and the aborted promises Gov. Amaechi had made some agreements with the state branches of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, and the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, the State Governor, Chibuike Amaechi, announced that the government would pay for the petrol allocations to the state for IPMAN, to keep the pump prices lower than PPPRA’s prescribed amount to keep transportation costs would not exceed N100 in the Port Harcourt metropolis. It is however, not clear what became of these agreements following the reduction of petrol price to N97/L. My conclusion, we should endeavour to know the Plan as to judge the outcome. We need a standard scorecards to rightfully assess the government in our critiques. Even Amaechi abandoned his promise when the paradigm changed so did GEJ who attempted to implement more than 75% The above promises where made on N76 subsidy windfall and not the negotiated N22 One thing about socialists, they are general insatiable and blind to their faults and that of their masters 4 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: . by egift(m): 8:42am On Oct 21, 2014 |
1 Like |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:43am On Oct 21, 2014 |
anonimi:
Are you talking about Fash'OLE Lagos state government and the computer renderings of
- Lagos Light rail
- Lekki International airport
- Lekki Sea port How much have been expended into any of the aforementioned project? 1 Like |
| Re: . by anonimi: 8:43am On Oct 21, 2014 |
1 Like |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:44am On Oct 21, 2014 |
@Ngwakwe, and your point is? 1 Like |
| Re: . by anonimi: 8:46am On Oct 21, 2014 |
egift:
karlmax2, have you seen Akwa - Onitsha Road? If you use that road, you will drag Jonathan to the Market Square and give him the beating of his life  And have you seen the Benin-Ore road? If you do you will drag the Arewa People's Congress, APC "navigator" OBJoke to the Market Square and give him the beating of his life for wasting eight years budgeting and doing nothing only for Jonathan to fix it in less than four years of being voted as president.Yet some clueless ranters will say there is more corruption under GEJ rather than acknowledge greater transparency that state governors are HIDING away from saying the FoI bill passed by our National Assembly does not apply to their states  3 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: . by quincie(m): 8:49am On Oct 21, 2014 |
I personally believe that Gej is a gud guy bt just gullible and surrounded by big belle thiefs who only think of deir big belles, Anyway either gej or buhari, No government can ever be worse more than wat we av seen in Gej Regime....#God bless Nigeria 1 Like |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:50am On Oct 21, 2014 |
1 Like |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:50am On Oct 21, 2014 |
barcanista:
Oby de vex o This stuff is very annoying, look at the promises in your original post and these saTANist want to argue about is buses. 1 Like |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:51am On Oct 21, 2014 |
quincie:
I personally believe that Gej is a gud guy bt just gullible and surrounded by big belle thiefs who only think of deir big belles, Anyway either gej or buhari, No government can ever be worse more than wat we av seen in Gej Regime....#God bless Nigeria Absolutely 1 Like |
| Re: . by Ngwakwe: 8:53am On Oct 21, 2014 |
barcanista:
@Ngwakwe, and your point is? What stupid question is this? You wrote nonsense which I intent turning to intellectual discourse. Provide all supporting facts and briefings when next you try to murder Nigerian Education systems. With what GEJ received, he has scored more than expected. 4 Likes |
| Re: . by joseph1832(m): 8:54am On Oct 21, 2014 |
barcanista:
You are a very ignorant man, not even your exposure to foreign countries could influence your shallow thought process. Nigerians DID not elect any commissioner to run this country. The President takes a decision and gave loads of Promises with NO ONE being fulfilled almost 3 years after and you come here talking gibberish.
You further exposed your ignorance by saying Kano State don't have pipe-borne water. You are just a pitiable doofoo My brother, there's no need to resort to insults. Like your rightly said: We the people of Nigeria did not elect any local government chairman or commissioner or governor to preside over the affairs of Nigeria. We elected GEJ, not Fashola or Oshiomhole!. The last time I checked they aren't the C in C of the armed forces. |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:54am On Oct 21, 2014 |
quincie:
I personally believe that Gej is a gud guy bt just gullible and surrounded by big belle thiefs who only think of deir big belles, Anyway either gej or buhari, No government can ever be worse more than wat we av seen in Gej Regime....#God bless Nigeria We need to stop all these gej is a good guy, abba moro killed 16 people and a pregnant woman in the immigration scandal, the guy is still minister, gej has been shielding deziani from investigation. Gej refuse to declare his asset publicly and you tell me he is a good guy. Forget those sheepish smile abeg 2 Likes |
| Re: . by karlmax2: 8:56am On Oct 21, 2014 |
2 Likes |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:58am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Ngwakwe:
What stupid question is this?
You wrote nonsense which I intent to turn to intellectual discourse.
Provide all supporting facts and briefings when next you try to murder Nigerian Education systems.
With what GEJ received, he has scored more than expected. You have finally gone insane Sir. My condolence to whoever calls you his/her loved one 3 Likes |
| Re: . by Nobody: 8:58am On Oct 21, 2014 |
joseph1832:
[s]My brother, there's no need to resort to insults. Like your rightly said: We the people of Nigeria did not elect any local government chairman or commissioner or governor to preside over the affairs of Nigeria. We elected GEJ, not Fashola or Oshiomhole!. The last time I checked they aren't the C in C of the armed forces.[/s] Rubbish 1 Like |
| Re: . by joseph1832(m): 8:59am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Sibabasibaba1:
joseph1832
Dude kindly stick to the topic, questions were asked and those questions need answers to placate the Nigerian masses.
Buhari is not the president of Nigeria, all what Jonathan and his aides said is written above in black and white. How many of his promises has he kept?. Even with the #BringBackOurGrils saga, the army openly said they know where the girls are, since all this time why haven't they attempt a rescue operation(covert or overt) instead they went to sign this yeye cease fire agreement with them.
We shouldn't shy away from the truth. GEJ has a lot to answer for.
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Why didn't you tell the Buhari campaigners above me to stick to the topic? You are trying to play politics with fuel subsidy forgetting that the subsidy issue was backed by all state governors including the progretheives governors. Have you forgotten so soon that Oshiomhole, Fashola and Amaechi said many times during the subsidy saga that subsidies were unsustainable? Do you remember Oshiomhole speaking in that town hall meeting organised by Nduka Obiagbena of This Day? Have you forgotten that state Commissioners for Finance still meet and call for the total removal of subsidies? Don't you know that the state governments also get their shares in the money saved from the difference between N65 and N97 which was the money saved from the increase in fuel price? You forgot that these promises were based on the earlier N120 which would have been the pump price of fuel had the subsidy been totally removed. By the time you take time to find out what your local government chairman and state governor are doing with your money you will realise that you are ignoring the elephant in your room.
Let me ask you one question, why has no one asked why Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Kano State governments cannot provide ORDINARY potable water for their statEs despite the huge allocations they are receiving? Why must over 60 per cent of people living in the MEGA CITY of Lagos be using well water? Do you remember that there was cholera outbreak in Lagos some time this year? Do mega cities have cholera issues? How many local government areas in your state have dilapidated libraries let alone functional ones. You guys come here to lambast the FG when those closer to you can't even do the basic things. Where I live, council trims the grasses on the main roads and fumigate the streets every now and then. Just last week someone came to my house, saying that the state government sent him to exchange my old electric bulbs with energy-saving bulbs. There is a library by my house owned by the council and I go there to borrow books for my daughter. People, especially old men and women, go there for lessons on how to manage arthritis, diabetes and asthma as well as how to avoid or detect stroke. I am registered with an ambulance and should there be any emergency, the council ambulance will come immediately.
If you cannot demand good governance from your state and local governments, demanding it from FG smacks of hypocrisy. I am for criticism of the government. But it has to be across the board. No government in Nigeria does one-twentieth of what it is suppose to do. Yet, you guys hypocritically come here daily to criticize FG as if there is this government that has turned its state to Eldorado. We still see decrepit schools in Lagos, Akwa Ibom and Rivers State. The number of Alimajiris in Kano is still 'balooning'. Potable water is a luxury in these states. Corruption is still the same at all levels. All these hypocritical criticisms do you no favors, hence people have now developed propaganda fatigue.
I accept that the FG has not met expectations. But I insist that governments at all levels and across parties have not met expectations. As such, criticizing the FG and pretending that state governors from a certain party are performing, to my mind, is the hallmark of hypocrisy. Oh is I see... I believe there's portable drinking water in Otuoke right? Even in your village is there portable drinking water?. All what you mentioned above are evidence of a near failed state. It is the job of the government to provide for its citizens whether at the local, state or federal level, and should they the government at all levels fail to meet the yearnings of its citizens, they should be voted out!. Plain and simple. |
| Re: . by ejakpovi2: 9:01am On Oct 21, 2014 |
gej practice TANOCRACY not Democracy. |
| Re: . by joseph1832(m): 9:01am On Oct 21, 2014 |
1 Like |
| Re: . by Nobody: 9:01am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Ngwakwe:
The above promises where made on N76 subsidy windfall and not the negotiated N22
One thing about socialists, they are general insatiable and blind to their faults and that of their masters Was the previous government not paying salaries and building infrastructure? Obj even set up an EXCESS crude oil account. How come everything went haywire under GEJ? Did our population double over night? What has he done with the extra 22 naira? Today the FG is owing states billions despite record oil prices in the last 4yrs. He has gone back to borrowing here and there now that prices are falling. |
| Re: . by Ttalk: 9:03am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Sibabasibaba1:
Another thread to promote a criminal with neither vision nor ideas. Since he was kicked out on 27 August 1985 by his fellow felon he has done no other job apart from his PTF misadventure, a job meant to rehablitate him.
Even an older Obasanjo has been gainfully occupied in different local and international initiatives. But this coupist known as Buhari thinks the only way to survive is to be in government.What is plan for Nigeria? Nothing! Just the abstract 'I will fight corruption'. With Tinubu, Fayemi, Sylva?
What did Buhari even achieve as a Head of State? What was that exceptional thing that he achieved that will make us return him, a criminal by Nigerian laws? Did he turn Nigeria into heaven? Did he eradicate corruption? He was a product of corruption himself. Yes, coup plotting is a crime. It is corruption.
Nothing bad in criticising the government. But promoting a criminal who set Nigeria back 50 years is the highest form of corruption.
Shabalala or what do you call yourself, we've heard you, but what do you have to say to the empty promises of your boss |
| Re: . by Ngwakwe: 9:05am On Oct 21, 2014 |
barcanista:
You have finally gone insane Sir.
My condolence to whoever calls you his/her loved one Thanks for the complement. You were excepted to refute my rebuttal and not going personal I can see the effect of Lai Mohammedism on your threads. He will start quoting you Truth missed with Error = Terror I pity gullible Nigerians 2 Likes 1 Share |
| Re: . by egift(m): 9:05am On Oct 21, 2014 |
karlmax2:
yes i have can you swear with your life that the road has not improved or is work not ongoing ? Ive been asking you and your fellows,what has your governors done with the money they collect from sure-p up till now is just blabbing and more lies to coat your other lies.well u lot can keep deceiving yourselve online while people who can see the difference between the fg now and the fg's. Of the past .no blackmail or lies can stop him come 2015 because his work would speak for him .i would advise. You amd tour people to polish your voters card and get ready for election. The work done already is being executed by the Anambra State it is not Jonathan. |
| Re: . by Nobody: 9:06am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Ngwakwe:
Thanks for the complement.
You were excepted to refute my rebuttal and not going personal
I can see the effect of Lai Mohammedism on your threads. He will start quoting you
Truth missed with Error = Terror
I pity gullible Nigerians There is nothing to be argued in your submission with respect to this thread. |
| Re: . by Omimah: 9:06am On Oct 21, 2014 |
I will never make the mistake I made in 2011. |
| Re: . by karlmax2: 9:07am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Ngwakwe:
What stupid question is this?
You wrote nonsense which I intent turning to intellectual discourse.
Provide all supporting facts and briefings when next you try to murder Nigerian Education systems.
With what GEJ received, he has scored more than expected. the only fact they believe is the one that comes out of lai mohammed and their un intellegent write up. When am done with work i definitely what us to discuss this so that we would keep exposing. These unintelligent worthless paid internet trolls. They dont want intellectual discuss with facts .like the simple question of what tbeir own state governments did with their own sure p fund unless they want to tell us that their governors didnt benefit from subsidy removal. Which would show the motive and how hypocritical this disjointed write up is |
| Re: . by egift(m): 9:08am On Oct 21, 2014 |
quincie:
I personally believe that Gej is a gud guy bt just gullible and surrounded by big belle thiefs who only think of deir big belles, Anyway either gej or buhari, No government can ever be worse more than wat we av seen in Gej Regime....#God bless Nigeria Show me your friends and I will show you who you are. Jonathan is a very bad guy for being surrounded by very bad guys and protecting very-very Bad guys. 1 Like |
| Re: . by Nafizzey(m): 9:10am On Oct 21, 2014 |
Caseless:
that will be cataclysmic and politically shattering. Yes indeed. we need utter Change |
| Re: . by karlmax2: 9:15am On Oct 21, 2014 |
egift:
The work done already is being executed by the Anambra State it is not Jonathan. u see why i say u guys are hypocrites first you draw my attention to onitsha-akwa road when i asked you to swear if work is not ongoing on that road u turn around to say it amambra governor that is working on it .that road is been worked on by gej and that is why u see sure p as the owner of the project on the project board and that road is been handled by niger cat on behalf of sure p and federal government .very soon you would also come here to tell us that the lagos-ibadan express way which is another road the federal government is building with sure p fund is not fg but fashola 1 Like |
| Re: . by Olaolufred(m): 9:16am On Oct 21, 2014 |
karlmax2:
the roads exit on the internet for you and you likes because u people are always on the internet trolling any reasonable person who has been traveling nigeria by road know what talking about. A colleague still escaped a tragic accident between MFM and Berger yesterday while coming to the office.
No thanks to our excellent roads decorated with street lights pot holes. |
| Re: . by Omimah: 9:17am On Oct 21, 2014 |
I've seen the worse thing on this thread just as I've in others like it - people supporting the FG when they know they also suffer from its cluelessness. Fela was right, "suffering and smiling. Yeye no dey." |
| Re: . by Olaolufred(m): 9:19am On Oct 21, 2014 |
On Lagos Aboekuta expressway, Iyana dopemu and Ile epo is a nightmare.
Is sure-p no longer sure? 1 Like |
