By Ikem Adimorah

“Tell men of high condition
That manages the estate,
Their purpose is ambitions,
Their practice only hate
And if they reply,
Then give them the lie”.

THAT was one of the stanzas of Sir Walter Raleigh’s final poems some times titled “The Lie”. It was written on realising his impending death and that life is vanity and falsity in 1592. The satirical poem loaded with irony and metaphor threw up so much that was hidden in the political protests of January 2012 against the removal of fuel subsidy by the PDP led Federal Government.

The hypocrisy has crystallised with the recent provocative urging of the Buhari government by Bola Ahmed Tinubu to quickly do away with the oil subsidy.

Admitting that his view against the removal in 2012 was due to ignorance or sheer quest for power. As he put it “… However, I have reached the conclusion that there are too many demons in the system for that hell to be turned into heaven”.
File photo: DPR official sealing a fuel station

File photo: DPR official sealing a fuel station

It is pertinent to recall that Tinubu and his cohorts were of the view that Nigerians deserve the subsidy and should be allowed to enjoy it and that all that government needed then was to block all the loop holes where money use to leak out from government coffers into private pockets. They went further to add that if Nigerians will vote them into power, the subsidy will be increased for the common people to enjoy. Regrettably, the people have voted them into government and they are giving us “the lie”. Now they have known and Nigerians will have to pay more for fuel.

The leakages have been blocked and it is still not yet enough. Invariably it was not just the leakages. How many billions of dollars have we wasted in the name of subsidy with the attendant fraud that goes with it?

Many Foreign and local investors would have invested in the down stream sector of the oil industry and created jobs for our people. Three years have been wasted and still counting. “It is well known that the most radical revolutionary will become a conservative on the day after the revolution” – Hannah Arendt.

Many innocent Nigerians have opposed the subsidy removal for fear of the unknown but majority of us are fed up with the harassment that the removal has caused over the year and will be happier if it will be done with once and for all.

But for the politicians if removed, cannot be used again to deceive us or cajole us to vote for them. May be they will start preaching welfare state which is fast becoming the new lexicon in Nigeria politics. But we should not be deceived for welfare state and oil subsidy are two sides of the same coin.

Buhari should remove the subsidy that fuels smugglers across our boarders will look for new jobs and allow us know the exact quantity of fuel Nigerians consume daily. That the number of those who die due to fuel tanker accidents will reduce. That fuel queues will disappear at the filling stations. Fuel subsidy should be removed that long official convoys will reduce and the accidents they cause on the high ways will reduce too.
Our experience with politicians has gone full circle and we are taking stock. Politics without integrity has been laid bear for us to see. Those whose names are synonymous with lies have been noted as the pay day is fast approaching.

Many Nigerians are looking forward to a vibrant legislative arm of government that will make patriotism their watch word and reduce partisan politics in its legislative duties. But, the 8th Assembly seemed to have been cowed due to how the principal officers of the houses emerged.

The stability and focus of this present government is taking a longer time than anticipated. This is taking its toll on the economy such that experts are calling for quick surgical intervention before it becomes too late for all of us

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/12/tinubus-canvass-for-subsidy-removal/

tonyebarcanista

That is the trade mark of SW, speaking from both side of the mouth. This is what Tinubu said in 2011 now they are licking Buhari's butt

Ozin:
Acn Rules Out Alliance With Cpc by Ozin(m): 4:49am On Mar 21, 2011

Prospect of a possible alliance between the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN and Congress for Progressive Change, CPC, was dashed yesterday in Kano as the leader of the party and former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu described CPC as parading “expired leadership.”

Tinubu told ACN supporters in Kano during the party’s Presidential rally that: “What Nigerians need now is a transformation in leadership” as obtained in the advanced economy.

The two-term Governor of Lagos State explained that the leadership of ACN was offering Nigeria the brilliance of Nuhu Ribadu who, he said, is in the class of Nicolas Sarkozi of France, David Cameron of Britain, Medvedev of Russia and Barack Obama of the United States of America.

“What has CPC got to offer? We certainly don’t need expired leadership as we are offering the best in terms of brilliance, courage and patriotism in the class of Sarkozi of France, David Cameron of Britain and Barack Obama of the USA.”

Tinubu’s position came on the heels of Ribadu’s declaration penultimate week in Kaduna when he hinted during a political rally of a joint ticket between the two opposition parties to confront the dominance of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

The national leader of ACN criticised President Goodluck Jonathan for shying away from the national debate held last Friday, stressing that”that singular act exposed Jonathan as a coward who has nothing to offer.”


http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/03/tinubu-rules-out-alliance-with-cpc/

Nice article! The whole conclusion is that subsidy should go

Power drunk politicians.. Now they have the power and they are changing promises.

Promise of change has indeed become change of promise

Politics Is One Hell Of A Nasty Game Mehn.


Politicians Are Some Of The Most Heartless People There Are.


Remove Subsidy And What Becomes Of The Poorest Of The Poor Whose Daily Existence Is Supported By The Subsidy?

lalasticlala

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