The FG’s decision on N97/liter pump price: A hollow ritual!-CPC       Posted Jan 16,2012

Tony Momoh:National Chairman CPC

The Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) has noted, with unmistakable ambivalence, the Federal Government’s decision to peg pump price for Petrol to N97/Liter, away from the People’s unambiguous desire for a reversion to the earlier N65/Liter before the arbitrary and insensitive increase.

We have also noted the usual hollow ritual associated with PDP-led Federal government’s handling of negotiation with organized Labour. What has just taken place follows the same pattern with the eight times that Nigerians were made to absorb invidious pump price increases, between 1999 and 2007! It is, therefore, a matter of time before another pump price increase is unleashed on the hapless Nigerian people.

The apparent lack of institutional framework for the Federal Government’s Subsidy Re-investment and Empowerment program (SURE) shows it is not on sure ground. There is apparent opacity on the expected funds to be managed vis-à-vis the structured infrastructural development projects to be implemented by the new establishment. Undoubtedly, this is a knee-jerk response to the people’s aversion to the callous disruption of their economic life by the pump price increase.

We consider it contradictory that a Government that is mouthing reduction in recurrent expenditure is awash with funds for sponsoring nocturnal groups’ advertorials in the News Media and that of the office of the First Lady, which is alien to the extant laws of the Land. It is such disregard to the law of the Land that often put the President at cross-purposes to the oath of allegiance to the Nation’s Constitution!

The current Military siege on the streets of Lagos, especially those leading to Ojota, the venue of the massive congregation of Nigerians against the fuel increase, is totally unacceptable. The hubris of the FG’s penchant for calling out soldiers (like Boys’ Scout) on Nigerian streets for the flimsiest of reasons can only show the desperation of the government in refusing to acknowledge its squandering of the people’s goodwill. The resort to fascist schemes can only exacerbate the disillusionment of the Nigerian people to the vacuousness of the government in the management of the affairs of state.

The last few days have witnessed massive education for the citizenry on the pervasive corruption that has become embedded in this PDP-led Federal Government. The futile attempt to treat this with insouciance is delusory and unhelpful. It is our hope that the government shall consider it a duty to the Nigerian state to put the economic well-being above cronyism.

God bless Nigeria.

Rotimi Fashakin(Engr.)

National Publicity Secretary, CPC.

(Monday, January 16, 2012)