2nd January, 2012
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) said the inscrutable fuel subsidy removal, at a time the country is facing its most-potent internal security threat ever, has exposed the limitations of President Goodluck Jonathan as a leader and heightened the need for elder statesmen to come to his rescue, before he brings the house crashing down on all.
In a statement issued in Lagos on Monday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said no one needs a soothsayer to know that the removal of fuel subsidy and the lingering Boko Haram threat are a potent mix that can push the country to the precipice in this New Year.
It therefore called on the National Assembly, as the true representatives of the people, not to betray those who elected them – as President Jonathan has done – and also on organised labour not to abandon the people, their constituency, adding ”both the National Assembly and organised labour must act to stop the subsidy removal.”
ACN said that while the Boko Haram crisis is a clear and present danger to Nigeria, the Jonathan administration’s shock fuel subsidy removal, despite opposition from most Nigerians, is like pouring fuel on a naked fire, the end of which will definitely not be pleasant for anyone.
”Our democracy and indeed the very survival of our nation are in peril, perhaps at a level equalling the civil war period. The PDP government at the centre, through a combination of incompetence, lack of direction and meaningless headiness, has allowed the Boko Haram crisis to fester instead of moving quickly to nip it in the bud.
”As if that was not enough, President Jonathan has gone ahead to instigate a fresh crisis, by hearkening to the voices of agents of the Breton Woods Institutions instead of the voices of Nigerians who elected him. Removing the non-existent fuel subsidy at a time the majority of the population are barely surviving and the rank of jobless youths is swelling negates the aphorism that when you are in a hole, you stop digging. The dislocation in social order that the fuel subsidy removal will engender will definitely strengthen the hands of the Boko Haram endgamers and worsen the country’s plight.
”Since President Jonathan has now opted to embark on an anti-people misadventure it is now up to the elder statesmen, our past leaders, to move quickly to prevent him from bringing the house crashing down on all of us. After all, it is said that elders cannot sit back and allow things to go wrong,” the party said.
ACN accused the Jonathan administration of testing the will of Nigerians and running a government by deceit, adding that during the recent so-called stakeholders’ meeting in Lagos, Minister of Finance Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said the President had not taken a decision on the subsidy removal and would not do so until he had consulted fully with all stakeholders.
”Also, while the government has denied being influenced externally to remove fuel subsidy, it is common knowledge that IMF has been pushing countries in West and Central Africa, including Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Guinea and Chad, to remove fuel subsidy on the senseless premise that it does not help the poor but promotes corruption and smuggling. Ghana has already taken the bait.
”In any case, when President Jonathan met with the ACN and other political parties, we (ACN) told him clearly what the government had to do before contemplating fuel subsidy removal, if at all there is a subsidy. We said existing refineries must be made to work while new ones must be built, so we can stop exporting expertise, technology and jobs with crude oil. He promised to get back to us before taking any decision. He never did. Therefore, is anyone still wondering why the citizens here don’t trust their governments?” the party queried.
ACN said it remains convinced that fuel subsidy removal is not in the interest of Nigerians, hence will not support it, and that – based on informed analysis – the average true price of a litre of fuel is 34.03 naira, which means Nigerians have been overpaying for the product.
”When an informed analyst confronted the government with details that debunked its fuel subsidy claim, we called on the government to refute the analysis with facts and figures. Realising it had none and that the game is up, the government panicked, and the result is the sudden fuel subsidy removal on a day Nigerians were ushering in the New Year, thus turning their wishes and hopes for a better year into hopelessness. What a callous way to govern!” the party said.