BANNING FUEL VENDORS: A RIGHT STEEP AT THE VERY WRONG TIME
By Yusuf Idris Amoke.

Dear Governor Elrufai,

I hope this letter reaches you in the best of times, hoping and praying that the task of governing more than 8million people of Kaduna state from different social-political, religious and ethnic background is not a too much burden on you to carry. One can only but imagine the stress, pressure and at times difficulties you face in taking certain decisions; some are so complicated to conceive while others are very harsh but necessary.

During the campaigns for the 2015 elections, everyone new you were the man needed to reclaim the lost glory of Kaduna state- a glory lost to wrong visionless leaders manning the leadership of the state over time. People so much believed in you, most especially seeing how you strategically and fearlessly handled Abuja during your stay as the minister. I so much admire you too, and wish to be like you when it comes to leadership.

However, being human that you are, perfection which is a place for our creator is far from you; but striving for perfection is a duty upon all leaders including you. This near perfection can only be achieved when emotional intelligence is deployed in every policy, action and inaction a leader takes. This intelligence is needed to understand just the how, where and when policies are to be implemented.

In my view, the decision to stop the selling of fuel in jerrycans by roadside fuel vendors is a very welcome development but wrongly timed, because of the acute scarcity we are faced with. It is the scarcity that gave birth to the attention these vendors attract today. When there is no scarcity, you will agree with me that they nearly don't even exist.

I want to believe that most if not all of the people who were in the security meeting that endorsed this policy do not understand what it takes to join queue hustling for fuel. If you had known what it takes to get fuel from filling stations, I doubt much if you will agree to this policy at this time of the day.

A leader who was chosen by a people who were sometimes ago hysterical and subjected to untold hardship would not deliberately add to their hardship if he can not improve it. This policy with due respect sir, is a very wrong one, considering the timing.

In Kaduna today, fuel is sold 500 Naira per liter, maybe it will be 700 or 1000 Naira tomorrow, only God knows. Barbing salons, welder's shops, viewing centers and all other small scale businesses are forced to close shops because of this single policy. Commercial vehicles are now scarce, while the little available are so expensive. Paying 100 Naira from Kasuwa to Kawo as against 50 Naira is a clear indicator that your people are in a very bad situation as a result of your action.

The fuel scarcity all over the nation has been biting so hard on your people, despite that, they still remain resolute in supporting both your government and that of President Muhammadu Buhari. So what we are expected of you as a leader is to look outside the box to help ease the situation on us, not to compound it.

Sir in my opinion, you should suspend this policy until we are off scarcity regime then you implement it. By so doing, everyone will be used to the system of not buying from road site fuel vendors.

I meant no disrespect, but only trying to bring to your notice the feelings of your people that those close by you rarely bring to your know.

"Shinfidar fuska tafi shinfidar taburma"

Yours in struggle,

Yusuf Idris Amoke
A concerned citizen.
yusufamokee@gmail.com
@yusufamoke

What a nicely presented observation. More grease to your elbow @op. We the SME were forced to close down our daily source of income. Let's hope something will be done about it.