Even Actors are not smiling

By Kate Henshaw
A new year dawned on us with the announcement of increase in pump prices of petrol (PMS) from sixty five Naira(N65) to between N140 and N200! Wow! I was not the only one who wondered and said “wait a minute, were we not told April?”

What happened to the talks that were ongoing to debate whether Nigerian masses wanted it or not? What about exhausting all channels and levels of dialogue before the implementation? It seemed that was a decoy meant to keep all attention on it while the government had already taken a decision on the matter.

Blackberry broadcast messages started flying around about the insensitivity, cruelty and devious nature of our leaders/government whom we voted in to serve us and lead us right. Calculations were being made about whether really there was ever a subsidy in the first place and also why the government did not feel the need to reduce its own expenditure seeing that the cost of running government was at all times high.

After listening to the Minister of Labour on television the other day, it was clear he did not think he was a Nigerian as he kept on referring to the impending strike proposed by NLC and TUC as bringing more hardship on “them” rather than us while referring to us, the average Nigerian.

It saddens my heart that the government of this country think they lead dullards who cannot rationalise and think for themselves. That we agreed to be led by the nose for so long was so that we would give each successive government the benefit of doubt as to their ability to roll out policies that will benefit the populace as opposed to a select few. As things stand now, we have nowhere else to go but to push back. As I have mentioned before, the world around us is changing.

Amidst all the tension within the populace and increasing unrest, we then received messages about impending black out on Blackberry. Instant messaging services by government who had prevailed on the NCC to do so in a bid to stop Nigerians communicating with themselves on the situation but it turned out to be untrue as a leading telecommunications network, MTN sent out messages denying it.

A lot of rumours are flying around, accusations and counter accusations; it seems there is no end in sight with the strike kicking off on Monday, January 9. The burden is on the government to show that their intentions towards us are honourable and sincere but they have burnt that bridge already by springing this jack in the box on us.

We are told that fuel subsidy must go so that our future will be secured and also guarantee that our children will enjoy our beloved country. We are told that the money saved from the subsidy will be channelled to areas of greater need in our society and that a committee has been set up to monitor the savings.

We are equally told that the Federal Government has ordered 1,600 buses from abroad as palliatives for the harsh condition the removal of subsidy has brought. Hello…? The buses are meant for how many Nigerians? Do we park our cars at home since we cannot fuel them and all pile into the buses with our children to our different destinations?

Do we then eat the buses? Pay the childrens’ school fees with them? Settle our hospital bills with them? Always we put the cart before the horse. We borrow western ideas,we do not carry out a proper feasibility study on how it would thrive here and then… hoping it would still produce the same result, case in point the Lekki toll.

Still there is no explanation on why our refineries cannot function. Why we keep wasting money to export our crude oil for refining and later they sell product to us. It is mind-boggling. I would liken it to a farmer who plants yams, harvests it and sends it to a restaurant to be prepared as pounded yam for his meal!

Different theories abound about some masterminds living up to their threat of making the nation ungovernable for the President, what with the Christmas day bombings and the never ending killings in some parts of the north.

The much talked about petrol cabal is also being blamed for this uprising and using the ill-gotten gains from subsidy to fight the government on its removal. How about transparency on the part of the government? Compassion for the multitude rather than an I don’t care attitude, do -your -worst… .

Yet to be implemented is the minimum wage salary which is now like a drop in the ocean considering the hike being experienced in the country. It is now totally impossible for that amount to do anything worthwhile. Unless we as a people begin to make these electoral positions unattractive in terms of monetary rewards, the right people will never get in there.

There is no need to say “Happy New year” any more because we all know that except for the fact that those of us reading this article are still alive, we are far from happy.

Good points raised here.

Pukkah :

Good points raised here.

They are realising that The money they collected during election cant be enough for subsidy,

nice

Let her shut up already. Is it not people like her that sleep with the political fat-cats (e.g. Rotimi Amaechi) in the night and get juicy hand outs and contracts. . .only to later pretend to be an activist in the day time? Abeg make I hear word joor.

pro01:

Let her shut up already. Is it not people like her that sleep with the political fat-cats (e.g. Rotimi Amaechi) in the night and get juicy hand outs and contracts. . .only to later pretend to be an activist in the day time? Abeg make I hear word joor.

You are a classic example of a standard basta3d, what business of U̶̲̥̅̊ is it with whom she sleeps with. Fake asz hypocrite

Kate and her fellow entertainers say they regret voting for GEJ.
The drunken fisherman fooled them all.

This is like a Nollywood horror movie directed by GEJ and produced by the PDP.

pro01:

Let her shut up already. Is it not people like her that sleep with the political fat-cats (e.g. Rotimi Amaechi) in the night and get juicy hand outs and contracts. . .only to later pretend to be an activist in the day time? Abeg make I hear word joor.

what has who she sleeps with got to do with the matter at hand?
If Deizani was not married and she made a pss at you and you found her attractive, would you refuse to date her because she works for GEJ?
More importantly, do you have a proof of her sleeping with Amaechi or is it one of those beer parlour gists devoid of truth that gain momentum across the country

hoodboy:

You are a classic example of a standard basta3d, what business of U̶̲̥̅̊ is it with whom she sleeps with. Fake asz hypocrite

Na your mama and papa be 'standard' bastards. If you benefit from the main proponents of subsidy removal (by sleeping with them), then what moral right do you have to pretend to be an activist against the policy? Maybe all your sisters are aristo 'runs girls' that suck politicians' joysticks for a living - that na why the thing dey pain you like this. When they start dying one by one from AIDS I hope you would still be proud of them then. Inglorious bastard.

pro01:

Let her shut up already. Is it not people like her that sleep with the political fat-cats (e.g. Rotimi Amaechi) in the night and get juicy hand outs and contracts. . .only to later pretend to be an activist in the day time? Abeg make I hear word joor.

Guy you bad o. I also heard how boy dey organize moves for Rote any time he's in dublin.

rubbish! anyone who speaks against fuel subsidy removal is now an egghead.was is not these same ashawos that were singing ''jonah jonah'' during the elections?
fuel subsidy removal is here to stay. deal with it!

Sadly, many Nigerians are not able to separate facts from emotions.

Kate, like any other person, is not perfect or free from criticisms but our concern here should be on the FACTS and ISSUES she has raised and not her (private) life.

Or is anyone looking for a faultless and blameless person to raise these issues?

Na wa O! so kate sabi engrish like this?

Nice reaction from Kate. Those of you saying Rote de chop her beans were Ÿ̲̣̣̣̥ø̲̣̣̥u̶̲̥̅̊ there ø® involved in anyway. Ç̣̲̣̣̣̲̣̣ạ̲̣̣̣̲̣̣̊ṇ̲̣̣̣̲̣̃ you say it to her face and be able to defend yourself if she sues. Be rational and show maturity with the stories you spill.

DONT MIND HER.DEM REALISE SAY dem MUMU as dem sell dia birthright for 200m dollars mess of pottage make all dia industry share wen dia mate de collect oil block, come de blow grammar maybe dem go fit renegotiate. PESIN fumble as commissioner fumble as deputy gov fumble as gov fumble as vice president fumble as president and dem still vote am, waste of free education.shior kelebe tue

It is really sad to see these events happening.

Especially on what Kate said : "We are equally told that the Federal Government has ordered 1,600 buses from abroad as palliatives for the harsh condition the removal of subsidy has brought."

Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited-Nnewi Nigeria, can produce buses and give employment to many in Anambra State
and all accross Nigeria.

Links:
Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company Limited-Nnewi Nigeria
http://www.innosongroup.com/innosonmotors/index.php

If they sold their vote cos of $200 milions and retrace their steps, they can be forgiven, The man that cant be forgiven is The man with no shoes and getting to power decided to cut The legs of ppl with no shoes like him that voted him into power, what a wicked world!