BY NWAKANMA CHUKWUMA
ENGR. Martin Onovo, the Presidential Candidate of the Action Alliance (AA) in the 2011 general election. In this interview, he spoke on the removal of fuel subsidy, and why AA is challenging the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC over the conduct of the 2011 polls among others. Excerpts:

AS an Engineer and expert in the petroleum sector, how do you see the removal of fuel subsidy?

First of all let me tell you there are certain propaganda and information that are sponsored by government that are very destructive, like this issue of subsidy removal. We are seriously against that. You see, you grow economy by productivity that is why you measure the economy by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in terms of goods and services.

Economic stability is checked with inflation rate. In the US in the last five years the inflation has not reached 5 percent, but here in Nigeria it is on the high side. In economic analysis, you check certain factors like unemployment rate, productivity, output and input and manpower rate. Here, the unemployment rate, according to independent data is over 70 percent, forget the CBN figures.

Now, with near super-hyper inflation around the corner, undue pressure on the naira, massive unemployment and poor transportation network across the nation, removal of oil subsidy will cause drastic economic hardship in the country.


*Martin Onovo
With that situation you expect a sensitive government to grow the economy and manpower. What the government is doing instead is to promote foreign products and the next thing is removing deregulation and allowing importation of petroleum products. What type of economic policy is that?

Let me tell why my party is against deregulation. Deregulation subverts the GDP, causes hyper inflation, leads to the devaluation of the naira, and devaluation of the real income of workers. It will lead to mass poverty, massive unemployment and industrial crises and death of few surviving industries.

Since 1999 we changed into what we now call democracy, which to me criminocracy. our entire economic sector has changed into a negative trend because this is not a democracy. If it is a democracy all the indices will show in all sectors. If this is a government that is sensitive to development you would have seen the trend in development of the nation.

Another thing is, is there actually a subsidy? Because all studies show that there is no subsidy, even the NNPC study showed that there is no subsidy. Decree 24 of 1995 by Abacha showed that was no subsidy; former Economic Adviser, Professor Aluko said that there is no subsidy.

Former Petroleum Minister, Tam David West said there is no subsidy. Even former Head of State, General Buhari confirmed that there is no subsidy yet government insists that there is subsidy by trying to confuse people.

Remember Obasanjo increased oil price several times with the reason that it would boost the economy with accruals from the oil price. Tell me, since then has the economy been boosted? Now, they have removed the oil subsidy with the same reason. Tell me, how can Nigerians believe them?

You said there was subsidy but the government claimed it spent N1.3 trillion on it.

I have been telling you about deceit, all these are deceit. Check the list of those that benefitted from the subsidy, are they not their friends? Check those who financed the PDP elections and the launching of the party secretariat in Abuja, and then you will know what I am talking.

If not, tell me what concerns a construction company with oil importation and oil subsidy. Again I want to tell you the list the Senate published is just to divert attention, later it will go like the power investigation done by the Hon. Ndudi Elumelu committee of the House of Reps and others.

How do you see comments that Nigerian refineries are being sabotaged by some people, who are equally frustrating the building of new ones even when licenses have been given to some people?

What is the work of the SSS if there is sabotage on any of the country’s investments? If there is actually a sabotage or a syndicate the SSS should investigate them. It an incompetent government that gives such reasons. It is because of the blackmail and illegitimacy of those in power that make them not to act.

They are not sensitive to the plight of Nigerians. The Nigerian refineries are not working because of the same reason the Benin-Ore road is not working and the Nigerian Railway Corporation NRC and others are not working. It is the same reason taht late Ojukwu and late President Yar’ Adua traveled abroad for medical treatment.

What do you think is the way forward for the country?

First of all, we must get an ethical leader, who is legitimately voted in to fight corruption because the corrupt can not fight corruption.

Check what the former EFCC chairman said. According to her, there is government interference in the fight against corruption that is why there is bottle neck in the fight against corruption and all those who looted and are looting the country’s wealth are moving about free. We must change the leadership of the government, not those who want to initiate single term of government.

Your party the AA, was the first to take INEC and President Jonathan to court and up till now you have rejected the outcome of the 2011 general election that was considered free fair by international and local observers, why?

First of all your presumption was wrong. International observers did not conclude that the election was free and fair. Absolutely to our party, the Action Alliance, there was no election.

For instance, in the presidential there was no election, it was obviously a flawed election.

Before the election proper, there were more than 150 pre-election cases, I mean litigations against INEC.It has never happened before in Nigeria, even during Maurice Iwu.

Few days to the election just after the first cancelled presidential election, the Action Alliance filed a suit against INEC on unlawful exclusion of our candidates precisely on February 18, after we had written a petition on February 2 to INEC Chairman on the exclusion of our candidates which they have not replied till date.

Our lawyers wrote to them on behalf of the party, we have evidence of their receiving the letters, with copies to INEC secretary, INEC Commissioners and to their legal department.

After that, closer to the elections again we went ahead and got a Federal High court order mandating INEC to list our candidates in the election, INEC ignored that order and went ahead to conduct the election. Tell me, how you can conduct a free and election outside the law?

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2012/01/govt-is-deceitful-onovo/