Even if the so-called fuel subsidy is removed, and the same dubious importers without storage facilities are importing fuel, while our refineries are not maintained, will the shylock oil companies not be sapping us dry and making more ill-gotten wealth from the toiling masses' I wonder what the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the sleeping Independent Corrupt Practices Commission are doing with all these revelations from the Senate chambers! Is the EFCC only interested in the thieving politicians, and not interested in the oil cartels that go for the countrys jugular vein' Why not go after the oil companies that are draining our natural resources and undermining the capacities of local refineries to meet local demands'Instead of removing fuel subsidy, the Federal Government should provide evidence that the fuel paid for that amounted to trillions of naira actually got to Nigerians. Let the N1.43tr subsidies paid to the oil importers be calculated on the basis of 40 million litres per day in 365 days, assuming the oil companies import on a daily basis! We will see loopholes.The National Assembly and Federal Executive Council can be more patriotic in their approach and policies towards improving our economy, rather than planning removal of fuel subsidy which may cause more hardship to the masses. Permit me to suggest that if today, all our public office holders and patriotic leaders at all levels repatriate their foreign accounts and save in Nigerian banks, there will be more funds for SMEs to access credit facilities.If our public office holders and leaders patronise Nigerian hospitals for treatment and send their children to Nigerian schools instead of foreign institutions, the corresponding infrastructural facilities in our country will improve! Let our hospitals and schools be brought to global standards, the types that attract our leaders. It amounts to inferiority complex if any responsible leader considers another country to be better than his. Our leaders are unwittingly shirking responsibilities in self-defeat by seeing foreign products and services better than ours!I am not sure that any British leaders, mayors or ministers, lords or any USA presidents, governors or congressmen have their children in any Nigerian schools. I am not also sure if any of these foreign leaders has been admitted in Nigerian hospitals! But our own leaders, presidents, ministers, governors, commissioners, legislators, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies have their children outside Nigeria and they go for medical treatment abroad even for such minor reasons as to treat common cold and catarrh. All these deplete our foreign reserves more than fuel subsidies! The implications of our leaders unpatriotic attitudes create more economic woes than the controversial fuel subsidy removal being touted. If our leaders become models of Nigerian textiles and show preference for Nigerian products and services, all these will translate into employment opportunities and job creation for the teeming Nigerian youths who roam the streets in search of non-existent jobs. Nigeria is said to be a great nation of good and resourceful people.We do not need to depend on foreign goods and food if truly we are independent in our national orientation. Our demonstration of true independence will shore up our foreign reserves and improve the naira value. Those who are giving advice on removal of fuel subsidies are saboteurs who want Nigeria to be dependent on foreign products and services, so as to rubbish our sovereignty. Removal of fuel subsidy will not stop importation of the products; rather it will heighten tension and place us at the mercy of the oil cartels. It will worsen the value of the naira further and double the value of foreign accounts holders! Removal of fuel subsidy will put level of incomes earned by the masses far below the poverty level.The nationals of countries from which we import fuel are not better than we are. If the PPPRA and major oil marketers are sincere, why cant they build private refineries in Nigeria since all these years they have been exploiting our petroleum resources' Those countries from where they import fuel day-in day-out have refineries which the Federal Government and the oil companies are also capable of having. Even the neighbouring Niger Republic was reported to have built an ultra-modern refinery recently while Nigeria has yet to build any with all her oil wealth in the last three decades.The above are observations and questions I humbly put before the Senate and the public authorities for consideration before we invite avoidable revolution that may lead to national disintegration. Forget the reported claim by the President on Sunday that he was ready for a mass revolt over fuel subsidy removal. The Nigerian government must live up to expectations and its billing. God bless Nigeria.ConcludedRotimi, a HR Development Consultant & Certified Management Trainer, wrote in from Marina, Lagos.
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