Chief Ernest Shonekan may not have headed the Interim National Government (ING) put in place by IBB for long,but his administration looked in the direction of deregulation as his regime increased the price of a litre of fuel from 70kobo to N5 on November 8, 1993, an action that attracted a mass protest that provided a likely platform for Gen. Sani Abacha to ease him out of office. As if to assuage the masses, Abacha, on assumption of office, reduced the pump price to N3.25, only to increase it to N15 on October 2, 1994.This action again attracted mass protests and the regime reduced it to N11, the price that subsisted till Abacha died. Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, who took over raised the price from N11 to N25 on December 20, 1998, but reduced to N20 on January 6, 1999, following days of violent mass protests. The Olusegun Obasanjo regime adopted removal of fuel subsidy as the bedrock of it's economic development. On June1, 2000, the government increased pump price to N30 per litre but reduced it to N25 on June 8, 2000, after mass protests followed the policy. It further reduced to N22 on June 13, 2000, and again reduced to N20 on January1, 2002. But before the aborted third term political game, Nigerians saw pump price skyrocketing to N40 and then N70, before the late Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar'Adua regime reduced it to N65 before his demise. In the public domain, the 2012 strike showed that Nigerians need assurance that government could be trusted with its promises and policy decisions.The thinking is that successive governments had kept coming with promises of a better tomorrow, a tomorrow that we have never seen. We cannot blame them! After all, the saying goes that, 'Once beaten, twice shy.'However, if we put personal sentiments and political affiliations aside, if we put ethnic and emotional bias aside, and if we put religious colourations aside, we would give the Goodluck Jonathan administration for the purposeful approach to ameliorate the impact of the fuel subsidy removal. It has been argued in certain quarters that the provision of buses to ease transportation is cosmetic because those are social services that should be put in place by government before now. Like our toll gates before now, the buses will end up enriching the operators, unless a seamless payment option is adopted. The redeeming fact remains that, for the first time, government has been transparent in coming out with palliatives.The Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment (SURE) programme is one that should yield dividends in the near future. Apparently, if Nigerians see some meaningful projects in the next one year, they will embrace full deregulation. Come to think of it! Is it not mind-bugling that we are told that Nigerians own about 15 refineries in foreign countries' They had to invest their funds (genuinely earned or ill-gotten) in building refineries abroad because the business climate in Nigeria is not conducive. Have you imagined the number of jobs that would have been created if those refineries were to be built in Nigeria' It stands to reason that when there is full deregulation, some of such business moguls will initiate refinery projects in Nigeria and provide jobs for our teeming unemployed youths. Government has also pledged to bring to book, all those who have acted in one way or the other to bring economic woes on Nigeria.This is through their involvement in deals in the petroleum sector. It is believed in many quarters that President Goodluck Jonathan translates this to real action, and we see the so-called members of the cabal or cartel exposed and sanctioned, he would have written his name in gold in modern Nigerian history, because this will mark the turning point in the economic history of our nation state. So, I ask: Why can't we bear the initial pains in the deregulated fuel regime today if there are prospects of a better tomorrow' There are no gains without pains. If we must ensure a better future for our children, then there are giant steps, big risks that we must take today. Opposition to government policies and programmes would be invaluable, only when they do not have veiled political colourations. This is where the three presidents have acted wisely to Save Nigeria: President Goodluck Jonathan, Comrade Abdulwaheed Omar (NLC) and Comrade Peter Esele (TUC). Unfortunately, we have lost a few innocent lives in the protests. To the opportunists who make money from renting crowds, wait for another window of opportunity to make money. Better still; go back to your calling! Who is afraid of fuel subsidy
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