Fuel subsidy was not killing our economy, but corruption, high cost of governance as well as wasteful spending. 300 billion naira fuel subsidy suddenly jumped to 1.3 trillion naira under GEJ in two years. There is no way we can trust this administration.

I have told anyone who cared to listen, that i personally wouldn't be going to Protest Fuel Subsidy on monday, but the under listed!

A contract of N7 bn ($43.75m) awarded for the VP's new residence and an additional N9 bn ($56.25m) is being requested to complete it.
They disburse N250 billion per year in ‘security votes’ to the President and Governors and they can spend it as they choose.
Almost N1 trillion allocated to security last year with nothing to show for it.

Items in the 2012 budget:
approximately N1 billion for ‘feeding’ the President and the Vice-President
N1.7 trillion wage bill for the Federal Government
N675 million on power related expenses at the Villa and VP’s residence
N1 billion on miscellaneous expenses which include honorarium & sitting allowances; welfare packages and publicity & advertisements.
N11.25 billion on foreign travels.
These expenses are criminal and unsustainable.

While we understand that N1.3 trillion is a lot of money, the fact remains that not all of it was spent on the subsidy. The government itself admits the process is fraught with holes and run inefficiently, however, rather than deal with the corruption in the system, the government has taken the lazy option without any thought to cut its own costs.

mbulela:

this same sermon was preached in 2011 yet we saddled ourselves with an unprecedented level of mediocrity. I see no reason to believe that 2015 will be any different,if we make it that far.
We as a people chose this mess often referred to as fresh air.
I have said it before and i say it again, this govt does not have the moral right to even consider removal of fuel subsidy.
the cost of governanace and legislative looting rampant in govt is enough to sink any nation.
If there is a cabal looting from fuel subsidy, go after it,address the cost of governance, then come talk about removal of fuel subsidy and some of us will even campaign for it.
until that is done, all these spread sheets Okonjo Iweala and Sanusi are displaying on Power point slides are dead on arrival.

The bolded is my problem with the write up. how are we gonna survive till 2015, we go don die finish if we are waiting to get these demons out and how are we sure our votes will count sef.
We need to shut the country down now and damn the consequences, this is an opportunity to fight about everything that stinks about this govt and even the previous ones. Its an opportunity to finally make a mark. If we miss it now then we are doomed and should not complain again.

Nigerians stand up, Say NO to FUEL SUBSIDY REMOVAL.
Let us join the strike action,
Let us go to Abuja

Can we survive til 2015, dis crop of leaders are out 2 kil us with their useless policies. How do we know dt even if we survive, d new leaders would not b worse than d previous ones?

jify:

Can we survive til 2015, dis crop of leaders are out 2 kil us with their useless policies. How do we know dt even if we survive, d new leaders would not b worse than d previous ones?

That's the problem. I do not even see Nigeria surviving till december this year, atleast not the way we are currently going. Almost every week, people are randomly killed. The new year has barely begun and already, people are being killed just like that. Very soon, bombs will fly again from boko haram. I feel that most Nigerians don't realize the big problem we are in as a nation. It is when children will be killed in schools and traders/buyers in market places that we will know that we are in for some deep mess.

I am from Norway. Nigeria has wealth like my country and
we are stable here. The Nigerian government says removal of the fuel subsidy
will be justified by wise investments that will benefit its people. What
Nigerians are asking?


1. How will
a wasteful government suddenly realize the genius of prudence and making the
right investment decisions simply because there is more money available from
oil subsidy removal? Will there be less graft & bribes involved in process
of issuing the road contracts or power contracts?


2. Has the
government sought to honestly find every way it can plug wastage in the
country’s leaking economy before asking a feeble populace to carry the burden
of corruption and gross ineptitude of a gluttonous few?


3. Have the
Presidency, the State & Local Governments and the Legislature discovered
how to travel without a convoy of 20 cars to the airport?


4. Can the
occupiers of these lofty positions act in honour as Barack Obama did in 2010
when he got every member of his cabinet to take a pay cut, starting with
himself?


5. Nigeria
is a friend of Europe but its leaders refuse to learn from the real meaning of
democracy and decency in government spending on politicians. Within first few
days as British Prime Minister, David Cameron led the austerity cuts (upon his
assumption) by cutting down his convoy to 2 cars and one outrider. The Members
of Parliament in Britain are now only allowed 3rd class train tickets on
official travel (as opposed to their traditional first class train ticket
allowances). The Mayor of London now rides a bicycle to work. This is as the
same in Europe. Though Europe is plagued with crisis today, some common sense
show leadership at least by example.


6. How come
Nigerian 'leaders' in government earn so much and still spend so much
furnishing the same houses and offices they furnished with public money last
year? Do you furnish your office every year? Why should the President, Governor
or Senate President do this? Nigerian politicians earn more pay than every
other ‘leaders’ elsewhere and these burden should be spread to those who have
been milking that country’s national treasury in over-bloated government
edifice.


Wasteful leadership cannot make prudent investments. The
change Nigeria needs is not just policy. It is in the quality of mind and
persons at policy making positions, by killing corruption and greed.


7. Religious
leaders (Christian Pastors, Priests, Muslim Imams, Emirs) are proud to host the
President, Governors and politicians for monetary benefits rather than confront
the system. Can you imagine a rally where those religious leaders lead in the
front and the people behind them leading a real revolution at the problems in
Nigeria? The religious leaders care about their benefits so they can continue
to brainwash the people, milk them as well as milk the government. Was it not
by action that Martin Luther King won freedom for his people elsewhere? Did he
had to sit down and pray to God every day? Nigerians wake up.

^^^^ saw this on CNN site and thought to share with y'all

This man Fela is making points. We need a few more like him and I believe we have them. Nigeria must change, the way of doing things, there is no other option.

Personally, my suggestion is that government should shave about N30 off the subsidy amount and demonstrate its ability by using the saved amount to lay railway tracks from the South West of Nigeria to the South East of Nigeria. Also do same from North West of Nigeria to North East. This can be finished within two years.

Government should then lease the use of the tracks to a reputable firm for a lease period of 20 years and recoup all the money spent on the tracks. See there? It did not cost a thing!

Simultaneously, offer bank guarantees to reputable companies that want to build refineries in Nigeria (only companies that have built same in other countries) sign MOUs to the effect that subsidy will be removed within two years time. To convince them further pledge to buy all refined products at prevailing market rate where subsidy is not removed. In two years come back to the Nigerian people and present your achievement, announce other great projects and remove the remaining subsidy.

Kindly repost the idea if you agree, or tell our president if you have his ear, before he runs the country into a ditch.

Interesting.
@ Mobinga How did you do that.
@ Mobinga How did you do that. Pls mail me iesusluvz@gmail.com

After reading the original post only help to bring back views why I quite don't understand the reason the Nigeria is looked down on as a backward nation. It is frustrating trying to explain same thing over and over again to people who refused to understand what you are trying to pass across to them. I wish to say the writer knows how this subsidy has been misused by few people as the economy expand and the way the subsidy increases exponentially thereby eating deep into the national income which is the 95% of foreign revenue for the govt. Not only that, those who are willing to construct the refineries to meet demands would do so until this discrepancy in that sector is checked. I don't understand why people are resorting to simplistic arguments just to get across something irrelevant in whatever manner and regard. The writer forget to comprehend that this sector have a lot to do with great change in those areas he's reflected on. There can only be a functioning private sector for those infrastructure to be in place and work effectively. Our development should not be rested upon the govt. alone - that is the point we are throwing out concerning this removal to the development of the Nation. Without a functional private sector this country will not see better development in those areas you highlighted, that is a fact.

maasoap:

Fuel subsidy was not killing our economy, but corruption, high cost of governance as well as wasteful spending. 300 billion naira fuel subsidy suddenly jumped to 1.3 trillion naira under GEJ in two years. There is no way we can trust this administration.

I'm telling you, you have said it all, subsidy or no subsidy is not our problem. Removal of subsidy is like we want to contribute extra 75 naira on every litre of PMS we buy to develop our economy faster. Simple. And Fela and co are saying the little we have the corrupt politicians are spending it lavishly! Of course yes.

We do not have any iota of trust in our rulers because their lifestyle does not portend they have our interest at heart. An it is a pity

Years ago I doubt if "jona" could afford to eat a 300 naira plate of food like most of us, but when he became a commissioner under the then group capt olugbolade government in the then new bayelsa things started changing he could afford to steal bayelsa money and build a house otueke and a car, alameseyia knowing his tendency for confusion rather then added direction left him out of governance and after begging some so many times to see baba OBJ was given the opportunity OBJ felt he was quite humble and couldn't talk to much as well as he would not steal like peter ololo, odilli and donald duke even if he wouldn't deliver, but his wife took it upon her to steal, acquire 2 ships(vessels) for oil bunkering and telling him to go ahead, look at the way she talks and look at the way he talks its theives that talk like that why they are getting drunk on champagne he has never drank before in his life and disgracing us up and down, and he is signing crazie policys which affect us, I even heard the reason why allison madueke is close to him is coz its her sister that gave birth to his two children imagine family politics gross rubbish

If Nigerians can rise and fight against an unjust removal of fuel subsidy, why can't they rise and fight against corruption?

all4naija:

After reading the original post only help to bring back views why I quite don't understand the reason the Nigeria is looked down on as a backward nation. It is frustrating trying to explain same thing over and over again to people who refused to understand what you are trying to pass across to them. I wish to say the writer knows how this subsidy has been misused by few people as the economy expand and the way the subsidy increases exponentially thereby eating deep into the national income which is the 95% of foreign revenue for the govt. Not only that, those who are willing to construct the refineries to meet demands would do so until this discrepancy in that sector is checked. I don't understand why people are resorting to simplistic arguments just to get across something irrelevant in whatever manner and regard. The writer forget to comprehend that this sector have a lot to do with great change in those areas he's reflected on. There can only be a functioning private sector for those infrastructure to be in place and work effectively. Our development should not be rested upon the govt. alone - that is the point we are throwing out concerning this removal to the development of the Nation. Without a functional private sector this country will not see better development in those areas you highlighted, that is a fact.

 

see my earlier post in page 1 of this thread.
the issue is not economic,it is a moral question.
A govt that spends 75 million extending 3 gates at the villa and spends 7 + 9 billion naira for the VP residence lacks the moral authority to discuss removal of fuel subsidy.
besides if fuel subsidy is being looted,why not investigate and arrest the cabal stealing from it?
until these are addressed, this fuel subsidy debate is ungodly and dead on arrival.

Obamedo:

If Nigerians can rise and fight against an unjust removal of fuel subsidy, why can't they rise and fight against corruption?

Exactly my point. We should be protesting and pressurising the govt to slash executive and Nass allowances by 70%!!,  Then pressurise the govt to utilise the the extra money saved from the slash and subsidy removal to improve power and other infrastructure! Thats the way to move forward.

Oil Subsidy Is Fiction
Posted by TheNEWS on October 24, 2011 // 18 Comments Professor Tam David-West, Petroleum Minister during the era of General Muhammadu Buhari, and Mines, Power and Steel in the General Ibrahim Babangida government, spoke with GBENRO ADESINA on the controversy over oil subsidy removal




• Professor Tam David-West

For the layman on the street, does oil subsidy exist?

There is no oil subsidy in Nigeria. It is a lie and fraud. After the regime of General Buhari, I challenged government after government, from General Ibrahim Babangida and Chief Ernest Shonekan to General Olusegun Obasanjo and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, to appear on national television with me to justify their subsidy.

Let me introduce you to the basics. Let us say a particular commodity like gari is sold for N10 per bag hypothetically and the farmers are producing to make us self-sufficient at N10. But at a time, they can’t produce enough because of either bad harvest or natural causes, the government now says since garri is a staple food, the government goes to another country where gari is produced and buys it at N20 per bag and brings it to Nigeria to sell at N10 per bag. The government now writes off the extra N10 –– that is subsidy. The extra N10 the government pays on behalf of the people for them to still buy at N10 is the subsidy paid on that commodity.

No government should exist if it can’t serve the people because government is a trust. They are trustees for the people. Edmund Burke, the great British philosopher, said that government is a contrivance of human wisdom and the wisdom should be used to satisfy people’s needs. Any government that can’t satisfy the need of its people is irrelevant and must be overthrown and kicked out.

Coming to petroleum, there is no oil subsidy. Oil subsidy in Nigeria is fiction, it doesn’t exist and it is a fraud. During Buhari’s time, we had three refineries. When necessary, I mean, whenever there was shortage of oil, we embarked on offshore processing. If at a time, the production of oil couldn’t satisfy our needs, we selected oil companies like Shell and others that we would give crude oil to refine abroad, sell at foreign exchange and pay to our account. We got quantum of barrels of crude oil and gave to these companies and after they might have refined it, let’s say they got one million litres and we needed only 200 litres, they would give us the quantity we wanted and sell the remaining and give us foreign exchange. We only took our fuel back, never imported fuel.

This time what do they do? These fraudulent people will take our oil, refine it and bring it back and sell it at foreign exchange. This is fraud in the highest places. Why is it that during Buhari era, with three refineries we were self sufficient but at their time, with four refineries we are now importing fuel?

I personally signed the contract of the fourth refinery which we call new Port Harcourt Refinery in 1984. It was one of the best in Africa, with a capacity of 160,000 barrels per day. The first refinery, in Port Harcourt, was built in 1965; Warri refinery in 1978, and Kaduna refinery in 1980. A newly constructed refinery can’t have major problem for about 30 years. The problem they will not tell you is that after Buhari, every Minister and Head of State became an oil sheikh, except General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Some ministers have petrol stations and oil blocs. You can’t serve the nation and serve yourself at the same time because you can’t serve two masters at a time. One must serve his country and the dividends of doing this is satisfaction. Total capacity of our four refineries is 445,000 barrels per day. If the refineries are working even at 80 per cent, we will have more than enough product. They did not do that but sabotaged our refineries.

I have been shouting since 1995 and I wrote that they are killing Nigeria and poor men. And in 2009, the House of Representatives corroborated me by saying that refineries were sabotaged. Abdulsalami as head of state, reacting to the state of our refineries, said he didn’t want to open a box of scandal. Why did they do this to the common man? Who are the importers? Big people!

A senator said this year, Nigeria spends N860 million on fuel importation and they projected that by the end of the year, over N1 trillion will be spent on importation of fuel when our budget is N4.3 trillion. Insanity! Dan Etete said they needed $250 million to repair the refineries but the same minister said Nigeria is importing fuel at $900 million. Is that not insanity? If you need this huge amount of money to repair refineries, why don’t you build new refineries? The money you are using to import, use it to build refineries.

Why do you think Obasanjo did not repair the four refineries we had and build four extra for petroleum to be sold at N20 as he analysed when he was in power?

Olusegun Obasanjo is a great liar. They will not do so in order to continue to import fuel for selfish reasons.

Is it true that Nigeria has the lowest prices of refined products among oil producing countries?

Forget Jonathan! He doesn’t understand what he is saying. He is only parroting what they told him. He talks like a parrot. Can he remove what doesn’t exist? Can’t we build our own refineries to serve us and remove the untold hardship they want to impose on us? Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the subsidy goes to the wrong hands. If they remove it, will people not suffer the more? Everything will increase. The new minimum wage of N18,000 will become N2,000.

But Obasanjo said because it is built in phases, it will take about five years to build a refinery?

It is a lie. I told you Obasanjo is a liar. It took just two years to build the fourth refinery. I signed its contract. It is between two and three years. The problem is that there is intellectual laziness and physical indolence. In developed countries, the president will not just talk without being well quizzed. But in Nigeria, at a media chat once, Obasanjo shouted on journalists or talked to them as a teacher. They kept quiet. It doesn’t take five years to build a refinery.

Okonjo-Iweala talked about cushioning the effect of the removal of oil subsidy?

Rubbish! She is sermonising to seduce people to accept the callous oil subsidy removal. Things she promised are palliative, nobody should agree. Labour and Nigerians should make it impossible because you don’t take away what doesn’t exist. We don’t need oil subsidy to build roads, provide water and electricity; vote for capital projects has taken care of that. Degrees don’t guarantee good governance.

Can a school certificate holder rule a nation?

Yes and very well. What degree does Shehu Shagari and Balewa have? School teachers. Winston Churchill was among the dullest in his class and he became one of the greatest British leaders. Degrees don’t make leaders. Leadership is a natural endowment or one acquires it by hard work.

Jonathan wasn’t born great, he said he was born poor. Rubbish! It is a privilege to be born into a wealthy home. I was born into a wealthy home but one can’t control where God puts you. I tell my son that he should not allow the wealth of his father to go into his head because his minister father could as well be a driver. You don’t regret where you were born. So, I didn’t have shoes or wasn’t born great is rubbish. God is not partial. He does things with reasons.

Being born humble is not an issue. How you articulate your humble situation is the issue. That you are born rich doesn’t say you should look down on people. The problem with Jonathan is that though he has Ph.D, he is a brilliant man, but there is a difference between native intelligence and book intelligence. Jonathan is basically brilliant. The danger in that is that such people whenever somebody like Iweala comes talking, they idolise them like mental geniuses and become internally inferior to them. Whatever they say goes –– garbage in, garbage out. He doesn’t have the stamina to challenge them.

For a prince to be advised wisely, he must be wise too. Iweala is not the most brilliant economist. There are hundreds of people more brilliant than she is. Pius Okigbo and Ojetunji Aboyade, they served the nation meritoriously. She is working with somebody psychologically inferior and she will lead him into a ditch. She talks like the president. She once said that government would not negotiate with the Niger Delta militants. Did they not negotiate later? She was paid in dollars when she served in Obasanjo’s cabinet and her monthly pay was N2.8 million and now she is saying oil subsidy is killing the economy. Hypocrite!

If you know that what you are doing is right, convince people in arguments, facts and figures, not by sermonisation. Now, they have hired consultants with millions of naira to convince Nigeria to accept their rubbish. It was done during Shonekan’s time when a Nigerian was given N20mn for public relations job. He collapsed. They have started again. Please, Senators, Honourables of the House of Representatives, throw out this bill. Don’t think and say we are safe in Nigeria. There could be corporate protest here, just like what is happening in the Arab world. If you do anything that will make Nigerians suffer more, they will go on the streets because the suffering is already too much. I can afford things but millions of Nigerians that form the majority cannot. They should know that government is not about commissioning or investment and profits. Government should have moral dimension. Any government that disregards the moral dimension, that is, respect of God, God will punish such for making Nigerians to suffer.

How do you react to the fact that governors have endorsed it and labour has tactically endorsed it with conditions?

All that is nonsense. NLC should represent the masses well. NLC should not give any condition for the consideration of the removal of oil subsidy. Government has ways of compromising labour. When things are hot, they can approach them with millions and buy them over and they will start to talk with double tongues. NLC should be firm. The government should publish the names of those that are importing fuel and government should sign that if it is removed and the effects are not felt between three and six months, then we must dissolve the present government. If they remove oil subsidy, l will lead a protest. I will organise students for demonstration.

Do you still have faith in Nigeria?

My dear young man, if I don’t have faith in Nigeria, I will not be talking to you. I still have faith in Nigeria. To keep Nigeria as one is a task that must be done. We should differentiate between metaphysical Nigeria and political Nigeria. Nigeria is a great country blessed by God. The way we are going, the political Nigeria will destroy the metaphysical Nigeria. Most of those in government are rogues and thieves. They love themselves more than Nigeria. Every Nigerian owes Nigeria more than what Nigeria owes him/her. Nigeria will change for better when we have more statesmen than politicians.

Now, we have a bunch of politicians who only think of the next election while a statesman thinks of the future. Nigeria will collapse if we have more politicians than statesmen. Nigeria is a country where a senator is earning more than the President of America. They even buy government houses. They spend billions on cars and they can’t pay N18,000 minimum wage. They have morally crippled the country and the governance. They will be destroyed by God. Nigeria is a great country –– no natural disaster, there are able men and natural resources. But people are still crying, no job, graduates are driving taxis, doing menial jobs. Many now engage in armed robbery because they have to survive. May God bless us with good leaders.

The worst enemy of Buhari says that Buhari is not corrupt and that is the truth. It takes integrity and rigidity not to be corrupt and lead the nation. You don’t lead like Jonathan. God will punish those that are punishing Nigerians and Nigeria. When the poor man weeps, the tears go to heaven and come down with burning fire and consume his enemies. And that is what will happen in Nigeria.

Greedy Politicians!
Gluttonous Supporters!!
Graceless Government!!!

Plain truth there. They have not bothered to cut down on the size of the government at all levels. They have not bothered to fix the leakages in the system. They keep increasing the cost of running the government. They just want us to keep paying their lousy bills.
They want us to believe that the removal of PMS subsidy is the silver bullet that will cure Nigeria. But we all know they are liars, they have always lied. It's all about their interests. BUT WE SHALL STOP THEM RIGHT IN THEIR TRACKS!!! VICTORIA ACETA!!!

Yes sir. It has been informed that it is not GEJ that removed your fuel subsidy it was the PDP the greatest evil clan of FRN. GEJ is just a stand there man that obey superior command from his bosses. When you all that now crying foul are voting for PDP+GEJ because he has Ibo name among his name and he is from SS+SE+SW forget your generation future and choose to embrace tribal sentiment and religious bigotry Why crying loud now my brothers and sisters. This is a simply logic. He is a FRESH AIR. , Nigerians that witness the most corruptible government of PDP for more than a decade still open their eyes and massively votes for them again in last April and ask them to continue

Remember that fresh air comes in two different way of odor, freshy & Stinky either way you have to enjoy it because you all invited it.

Quite instructive. Especially his statement that "we take back our fuel, we do not import it".

Why is it impossible to mandate the large oil importers to build refineries locally thereby saving the shipping cost component of oil price and still collect subsidy over the last 2 years?
Why must we resort to fuel importation when war ravaged countries like Cote'd' ívorie manage to still run it's own refineries