THE non-inclusion of provisions for the so-called fuel subsidy in the 2012 federal budget presented last week to the National Assembly by President Goodluck Jonathan has confirmed the fears of many Nigerians that the present government is bent on multiplying their suffering.Most unfortunately, this is coming at the heels of a recent public opinion poll conducted by the Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE-NIGERIA) and CLEEN Foundation which indicates that over 80percent of Nigerians are totally opposed to the removal of fuel subsidy. A greater majority of Nigerians, from the polls, have also indicated their readiness to embark on street protests should the government remove fuel subsidy, a fact that even Mr. President, by his own admission, acknowledges.The major argument by government for insisting on deregulation is that retaining fuel subsidy has become unsustainable. The government has also warned that the Nigerian economy would collapse in the next two years, if fuel subsidy is not removed. However compelling the argument by government appears, what is perplexing is the insistence of government that it must implement the policy with or without public support. This sort of public defiance only makes one wonder whether democracy is still government by the people, of the people and for the people. Even when government thinks that it has a leadership responsibility of acting proactively to avoid public danger, it has even greater responsibility of building public confidence in the process. So far, government has failed in that regard, especially, given mounting public angst against removal of fuel subsidy.Beyond adding to the sufferings of Nigerians, the current fuel subsidy brouhaha has once again brought to the surface very critical flaws in Nigeria's democratic process, particularly, with regards to issue based politics. Before the 2011 general elections, the issue of removal of fuel subsidy was already in the public domain. Being, a critical national concern, it was expected that deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector would form a major point of engagement between Nigerians and contestants for different political offices. It was also expected that if Nigerians were to vote according to issues, the position of political aspirants on fuel subsidy could have impacted on voting pattern, given the crucial place of petroleum in the day-to-day life of the average Nigerian.Unfortunately, despite the plethora of presidential debates held prior to the April 2011 general elections, the pertinent question of fuel subsidy was not adequately put in the front burner thus denying Nigerians the opportunity of determining their own destinies at the polling booth rather than on the streets. We collectively failed at this.Having been elected into office by the vote of Nigerians, it behoves on Mr. President to listen to the voice of the people, that is, if popular support remains the most important asset in politics. Instead of bullying its way in the bid to deregulate the downstream petroleum sector, government should engage the people and make more efforts at building and winning public confidence. A first step in this regard would be to mount serious war on corruption and sufficiently demonstrate that government business would no longer be business as usual. The first port of call should be on the management of the so- called fuel subsidy and Nigeria's petroleum assets. If government is asking Nigerians to make sacrifices, government should also be seen to be in the lead by cutting down on the cost of governance, especially with regards to reduction in the number of political hangers on. The government should also begin massive rehabilitation of dilapidated public infrastructures; roads, rails, inland waterways, schools, hospitals, and most importantly Nigeria's four petroleum refineries. Furthermore, government should embark on building new refineries, improve on the existing pipeline distribution network and entrench a people-oriented governance structure in Nigeria's oil industry. Ultimately, the government should begin to make concerted efforts at diversifying Nigeria's economy, thus increasing the revenue profile of the Nigerian state.In conclusion, there is need to reiterate that any attempt at withdrawing the so-called fuel subsidy without gaining public confidence in the manner prescribed in the foregoing is not only an affront to the Nigerian people, but an attempt to hand over the Nigerian project to neo-colonialists, disguised as oil cartels, and the foreign interests they represent. The disaster this portends is better imagined. In the spirit of issue based politics, the media, civil society and Nigerian citizens should learn from the mistakes of the past and increasingly demand accountability from elected public office holders. The National Assembly, which has the immediate democratic responsibility of protecting the interest of the populace, should be placed in the public eye with regards to their deliberations on the 2012 budget. The resilience, patience and long-suffering of ordinary Nigerians should not be taken for granted. Not anymore!Ezechona is Deputy General Secretary, Alliance for Credible Elections (ACE-NIGERIA)
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