The pre-election year of general elections is usually pregnant with premonitions about whether an incumbent government would be voted out or continue in office because in that year, proximity of the D-Day, would create advantage for opposition parties and rabble rousers to unearth all negativities and untruths with a view to scoring such administration very low before the Electorate!

Nigeria is not an exception to this political game of vindictiveness which had played out in cycles across thriving global democracies since the extinction of monarchical governance in most nations of the world!

The cacophony of accusations of non-performance against the ruling All Progressives Congress Party (APC), since the beginning of year 2018, by opposition parties especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in areas of security, and socio-economic contracts have been loudest because the year affords the antagonists the easiest opportunity to play dirty and get into political offices in desperation!

For instance the PDP, which wants to "recover power" at the centre at all cost has cashed in on the lingering artificial fuel scarcity to poison the minds of the vulnerable downtrodden Nigerians as the 2019 election year creeps in and have blamed the incumbent government for the unending daily queues at fuel stations across the nation since December 2017!
THE INDISPENSIBILITY OF PETROL IN PROCURING DAILY BREAD BY THE LARGER POPULATION - CANNOT BE OVEREMPHASIZED WHILE ITS INACCESSIBILITY WAS BOUND TO SOLICIT INSTANT/OUTRIGHT CONDEMNATION OF ANY GOVERNMENT IN POWER! Therefore, whenever irregular supply of electricity occurred, petrol (premium motor spirit) MUST be readily available in great supply to fill the huge vacuum in order to avoid uncontrollable agitations that the opposition could use to advantage!
It is not beyond the capability of the Ruling Government to quickly correct this anomaly! The antagonists should not be given any opportunity to capitalize on the recalcitrant artificial scarcity of PETROL to turn APC's loving masses against their divine government.

POSITIVE GAINS FOR THE MASSES!
In less than THREE years, the Change Administration reduced official corruption with impunity, ineptitude among political office holders and the civil servants, embezzlement of government funds by officials including organised robbery of the national treasury to the barest minimum and introduced the marvellous success stories of ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION FROM CRUDE OIL TO AGRICULTURE, NATURAL MINERAL RESOURCES, MANUFACTURING/INDUSTRIAL SECTORS, TOURISM/ NOLLYWOOD MOVIE INDUSTRY, INFORMATION COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY (ICT), TRANSPORTATION, YOUTH EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, PROMOTION OF SMALL/MEDIUM SCALE ENTERPRISES (SMSEs); ETC, in spite of inheriting a completely despoiled and battered economy from PDP?
Now there are over ONE THOUSAND millionaire farmers who benefitted from the CBN's Anchors Borrowers Programme, including fresh employments for millions of Graduates, in the public and private sectors of the economy; and thousands of opportunities for self-employment through the manufacturing and the SMSEs who have attained financial supports through the Bank of Industry (BOI).

THE UNENDING PETROL QUEUES ARE UNACCEPTABLE!
That the official pump price of the Premium Motor Spirit (petrol), is fixed at N145, 00, is not in doubt but, all Nigerian motorists know that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), have continued to violate the price regime and are pressurizing the Federal Government to increase the price to between N165-170 naira, per litre for them to have some profit margin.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which assumed sole importation of petroleum products from early 2017, sold to IPMAN depots at N125 naira - a price which they claimed did not take into consideration their own inputs of transportation and dispensation at the fuel stations nation-wide and this stout attitude has been responsible for the unending fuel queues at the filling stations even as at the date of this publication!

Though, NNPC mega-filling stations nation-wide sold petrol at subsidized pump price of N145,00 naira in spite of the landing cost of imported PMS which rose to about N171.50 naira, and also instructed other stakeholders to do same, - in the height of artificial scarcity between December 2017 and January 2018, - IPMAN sold at between N170-200 naira in their various outlets to further compound the travail of Nigerians in their desperation to make extra gains because they had been banned from the importation of petroleum products for over a year in order to reduce payment of the controversial and fraudulent subsidies!

IS GOVERNMENT AMELIORATING THE MASSES PAIN?
Minister of State for Petroleum Resources has claimed that government-owned refineries would be quickly fixed to produce at optimal level while MODULAR REFINERIES would be speedily introduced (by government), to take care of all local consumption; but even at that, we believe that local or international private oil entrepreneurs, should be invited into partnership to ensure regular, efficient, professional and digital operations that would always complement the economy on that platform!
Government, according to the Minister, is also soliciting wholesale private sector participation in refining the crude oil to ensure adequate supply of petroleum products in the country, but we advise that it is imperative for government to create the all-enabling environment conducive for adequate profitability as an incentive commensurate to the huge investments envisaged!
Government was also able to persuade the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), from embarking on an industrial action which would have compounded the already volatile and agonising condition of the suffering masses, by ensuring that some sacked members of the association were recalled!

IS GOVERNMENT ANTICIPATING AN INCREASE IN PUMP PRICE?
Tongues are wagging in negative directions that the APC government might be toying with the idea of effecting TOTAL DEREGULATION OF THE DOWNSTREAM PETROLEUM SECTOR, which will remove the price regime and afford free-for-all opportunities for all stakeholders to purchase Crude Oil, refine and commercialize it for profitability without constraints! If the intention materializes TWO THINGS would happen:
Petroleum products would flood Nigerian markets to nullify scarcity at filling stations; but PETROL new prices would be unaffordable to the COMMON MAN!
The alluring charismatic image of the Change Administration before the TALAKAWAS would shatter because the amiable citizens would be incensed by the opposition PDP remnant factions to hate the ruling party in order to divert their votes at the up-coming elections! And whereas PDP consecutive corrupt administrations actually created the present messy fuel challenges which root germinated through the active connivance of very rich and wealthy former Minister of Petroleum, who signed the fraudulent payment bills for SUBSIDIES to phantom importers and manipulated OIL FUNDS at will!

APC SHOULD URGENTLY GET ITS ACTS TOGETHER!
Is it not a shame that in the 32 months of APC administration the rumblings of polarisation, disaffection, dissatisfaction, rivalry, disobedience, opposition and counter opposition to government policies by legislators of the ruling party with poisonous passion, are still the order of each day? The Party is yet to hold a National Convention till date because of internal imbroglio! Has APC forgotten the adage which says, "A house that is divided against itself would fall?
Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu, the Party leader has been mandated to mend fences around the feuding and rival members in,: Oyo, Kogi, Kwara, Kaduna, though he himself is part of the problem! We have faith in divine intervention for permanent solutions before the 2019 election which is just one year away, because the party belongs to GOD and NOT any individual or groups of persons!
In the interest of all aggrieved members, they should trust in providence and allow the WILL OF GOD to reign supreme by allowing internal democracy and Party Supremacy flow seamlessly, this time around. Nobody should rock the boat by antagonizing the anointed one MUHAMMADU BUHARI, who will clinch victory and run his second term till 23rd May, 2023!

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, APC MUST NOT INCREASE PETROL PUMP PRICE ABOVE N145, 00 PER LITRE! Some members of IPMAN should be quickly contracted and encouraged to support the inadequate importation of this scarce commodity, while the intervention measures already put into motion by government should be fast-tracked as the debut of DANGOTE PETROLEUM in 2019, is awaited with much enthusiasm!
ANY PETROL PUMP PRICE INCREASE AT THIS TIME WILL BIRTH NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE TO THE TALAKAWAS! THEY ARE BUHARI’S SUPPORTERS! ’’For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, the labourer is worthy of his reward.’’(1Tim 5:18)



I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, 08130669886, 08098194390. 08080243066. g-mail- dvdolufon@gmail.com.

at op u must be an APC supporter. your point although well articulated are full of flaws.

rexlims:
at op u must be an APC supporter. your point although well articulated are full of flaws.

please name the flaws rexlims.

Long story