Buhari, ministers on conflicting path of change

• CLO opposes increase in electricity tariffs, price of petrol, return of toll gates

By SUNDAY ODIBASHI

THE Federal Government controlled by the All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to be encountering relative challenges in taking off governance to reflect the party’s campaign slogan of change. This is, particularly, so as the various ministers are seemingly charting different paths to deliver the dividends of democracy to citizens. The ministers, essentially, those assigned to sensitive ministries, for instance, petroleum, power, works, etc, are conceived to be evolving policies that contradicts President Muhammadu Buhari’s policy intentions.
At the inauguration of the ministers in November, President Buhari set clear parameters of the current administration and the basic criterion he intended the administration to be assessed and measured in terms of achievements. The President stated in clear terms that their success will be measured by the extent to which they reduce poverty in the country. Invariably, the President had advocated populist policies which many stakeholders in the country believe reflect his personality and leadership commitment.
Ironically, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, including the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, beside few others, opted for policies that promote more of the interests of the elite to detriment of the Nigerian poor. These reflect in the advocacies and proposals for increase in pump price of petrol or removal of subsidy, increase of electricity tariff, return of toll gates, among others. Fashola specifically, argued for the need to increase electricity tariff to attract investors without consideration of the effect on cost of production which will ultimately affect employment generation or unemployment on wide scale.
More so, APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also advocated that the government should remove subsidy immediately, arguing that the subsidy policy has outlived its usefulness.
Meanwhile, the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) has protested the plan by the Federal Government to increase electricity tariffs and pump price of petroleum products in 2016 as well as re-introduce toll fees across the country that were demolished some years ago by the Obasanjo administration. CLO noted that huge sums of money were lavished to demolish the toll gates across the country.
CLO in a statement by the Executive Director, Comrade Ibuchukwu Ohabuenyi Ezike, complained that, “if the plan of the government scales through, residential consumers’ tariffs will rise by 49.9 per cent while the commercial consumers will be increased by 21 per cent. In similar vein, Nigerians will resume to buy a litre of petrol at the pump price of N97 against the present N87 that most Nigerians, including the CLO are opposed to.”
Ibuchukwu contended that the major reasons for the proposed senseless increase in tariffs stem from the claim that prices of gas has risen, cost of distribution of the service to consumers has increased, the depreciation of the Naira and rising operational costs. The other factors responsible for the proposed heinous policy, he noted, include shortfalls in energy generation and transmission crisis which affects supplies from the National Grid. The CLO Director also said that on the increase in the pump price of petrol and re-introduction of toll fees, government intends to raise more money from those sources to run its activities, making them means of the internally generated revenue initiatives of the government.
“CLO is at loss as to why government that sold all our public property and utilities under the guise of privatization, in most cases, at give-away prices to associates and economic looters, will be making cases for those buyers at least without even a look at the efficiency of the services of the providers and how the consumers are treated. Nigeria between 1999 and date, has spent whopping trillions of Naira on this sector without any positive result. While those who plundered these funds smile to the banks, our society and its citizens suffer the ugly and inhuman consequences,” Ibuchukwu declared.
On the proposed return of Nigeria to the pump price of petrol from N87 to N97, CLO made bold to say that the proposed action is absolutely anti-people and enjoins Nigerians to reject the increase. Similarly, CLO rejected the proposed re-introduction of toll fees nationwide. “We insist that it is obviously unacceptable and very unreasonable for a government that rode on the back of the impoverished mass of our people on the premise that it was going to bring change to them to turn back a few months after to dish out harsh, inhuman, crude and wicked economic policies that would endanger their lives and expose them to poverty, hardship and agonies. It is regrettable that the current government would introduce these evil policies even as Christmas and New Year gifts to the unsuspecting Nigerian citizens, Ibuchukwu declared.
After a clinical review of the above proposed policies of the federal government, CLO declared as follows:-
That the proposed increase in electric tariffs by the government is a ploy to victimize, suffer and traumatise the already impoverished Nigerian Masses and, therefore, rejected. In the alternative, CLO urged the government to condemn the distribution companies for their failure, inability and refusal to supply consumers with electricity, criminally over bill consumers, impose estimated billings on them and the non- installation of pre-paid metres for the consumers.
That government’s plan to reverse the pump price of petrol from the present exorbitant N87 to N97 is an abuse of the promise to abysmally reduce the pump price of petrol from N87 downwards during APC’s electioneering campaigns early this year. CLO rejected the proposed conspiracy against the Nigerian people and enjoins Nigerians to rise against it, and;
That the plot to reintroduce tolls in Nigeria is an invitation to crisis from the Nigerian populace.
Ibuchukwu stated that it is agonizing for the government to reintroduce toll fees whose gates were demolished several years ago, is being contemplated to be re-introduced by the government. “CLO totally condemns this plot against the people and advises the government to rethink its anti-people proposal,” he said.
Accordingly, CLO reiterated its position that the major objective of any government is the security and welfare of its citizens. “We maintain without fear of contradiction that CLO will not accept further traumatization, exploitation and suffering of our people as the change that the APC government is bringing to the table for the country. CLO calls on all Nigerians and popular orgnisations namely civil society organisations, students, the NLC, TUC, traders, market women, okada riders, drivers, artisans and mothers across the country to rise up to the occasion and reject these proposed senseless and suffocating economic policies being planned against the people by the APC led federal government,” Ibuchukwu advocated.
Lastly, we make bold to advise the government to look elsewhere for its proposed sources of internal revenue as the Nigerian people are clearly not available, he said.