Fuel Scarcity: Give me Jonathan’s ‘corruption’

By Joseph Edgar . . .
I am trying to keep quiet not to say any word on this matter as it is beginning to look like I have not really seen any positives in this governmental change that we have saddled ourselves with. But as I set out this morning and see the suffering that Nigerians are enduring to eke out a living my anger brims over.

People don’t need this fuel scarcity, people need to be able to move around and I suspect that we are being taken for granted with the seeming indecision of this government in everything especially as it affects this sector. What is the government position on subsidy, on refineries on the privatization or otherwise of NNPC.

Whatever they decide to do, they should just give us fuel. People are dying, people can’t seem to get themselves together and I want to suspect, are beginning to ask themselves if there is any real change in their circumstances.
Boko Haram has killed many more people, more people have lost their jobs, still no power, more infighting in the National Assembly, everybody is probing everybody and now no fuel. Who is in control, where is the clarity, who is the arrowhead.

All we get to hear are sound bites with no real action. Discipline, incorruptibility, probes; all these will not put food on the table of the poor man. This N5,000 they want to pay, how many litres of fuel will it buy at black market prices. We need to be Nigerians once again. I swear we are beginning to miss the Jonathan corruption laden era.

At least those times, there was liquidity. The real estate, entertainments, service and ICT sectors witnessed a boom from their ‘corruption’. We became the biggest economy in Africa, inflation was single digit, jobs in the service sector were being created everyday and FDIs were rushing in.

Today with no corruption, the tap is dry. All we get is policy inertia and constructing fines on employers of labour that if not carefully handled will compound the unemployment situation and drive down further economic indices.

They say they need more time to fix the rot in the economy, that is not correct. Murtala Mohammed in six months showed a clear direction and focus and that is why till date he is being worshipped as a hero. OBJ with all his drama in six months showed clearly the direction of his government which enabled planning and business strategic direction.

Read also: Babatunde Fashola: History beckons

Now, we have just appointed ministers after six months, we are pushing strong man tactics which is an anachronism in today’s world, court processes are being flouted and ignored, a fluid reward system in appointments even better than the much maligned Jonathan regime is in place, with some funny stalwarts being given strategic positions to do what,
if you ask me nothing.

We need to be very clear as to where we are going as a nation. We need to be focused and open up the economy. This thing is so simple that I am almost beside myself in anger as to why this government cannot see it. The solution is not old fashioned caveman total control of everything. This leads to more red tape, key man risk, hero worship and will literarily kill the economy. It’s stupid to be talking about national carrier at this stage, funny to be talking about the Presidency controlling the oil industry. It should be freed up, reduce government interference and watch it expand and grow like the telecommunications industry.

Focus should now be on gas. Licenses in that area should be awarded and supported as an alternative source of energy and income earner. The Bank of Industry should be further empowered and made to support SMEs, Soft long tenured loans guaranteed by the Federal Government be given to serious minded small scale business people with a caveat to employ at least ten people.

Keep the stupid N5,000. It will only give people like Systemspec and the banks more money through commissions on transactions. Aggregate the total funds and use it on infrastructure at the local government level, health and even Nollywood which has shown the capacity that it can employ and cater for millions of Nigerians both directly and indirectly.

I am screaming at this point, can’t you guys see it, it’s so out there.. Give us fuel, abeg

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