Fuel Subsidy Crisis: CNPP, NBA, Muslim Congress, Support Protests; NBA Outlines Way Forward
Posted: January 5, 2012 - 17:53
By SaharaReporters, New York

As more groups express their reaction to the situation in the country, the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) today lamented the failure of the government of Mr. Goodluck Jonathan to understand the seriousness of what it is confronted by.



“It has failed to understand that all Governments be they dictatorial or otherwise enjoy power because the people allow it to remain in power,” the NBA said in a statement by its President, Mr. Joseph B. Daudu, noting that no government can outlast the will of the people.

The Muslim Congress (TMC), in a statement signed by Luqman AbdurRaheem,  urged President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to listen to the voice of wisdom and rescind the punitive elimination of the subsidy on petroleum products unconditionally in the interest of the populace.

That position of the TMC is shared by the Conference of National Political Parties (CNPP) which also today called on Mr. Jonathan “to muster all sense of humility, listen to voice of reason and honour the demand” of Nigerians and reverse his subsidy removal decision.

The CNPP, rising from an extensive meeting on the State of the Nation on Wednesday night, resolved to support the mass action declared by the Labour Movement in Nigeria following their ultimatum to Mr. Jonathan to reverse the petrol price to N65, on or before 8 January 2012.
The NBA said it supported all the actions contained in the 4 January 2010 communiqué of the Labour Movement, and that all members of the NBA will participate in the nationwide strike commencing on the 9th of January 2012.

In the its strongly-worded statement, the NBA said: “It is clear that Nigerians do not and will not tolerate subsidy removal under the terms and conditions set out or laid down by Government. Any removal of subsidy based on the importation of petroleum products is unacceptable to Nigerians. Government must create the infrastructure for the refining 100% of petroleum products in Nigeria and by Nigerians. It had been done in the past, it was sabotaged, and it can and will be done again.”

TMC, aligning itself with well-meaning Nigerians, advocacy groups, labour unions and civil societies to condemn “the wicked, sudden, deceptive and heartless removal of the fuel subsidy,” described the new policy as a diabolical agenda orchestrated by the ruling elites in conjunction with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to deregulate the downstream oil sector for their self-fish ends.

It pointed out that the fuel subsidy removal conflicts with, and has rubbished the objectives of all the ongoing developmental programmes of the Nigerian government especially the Millennium Development Goal which seeks to reduce the number of people living in poverty by 2015; the Transformation Agenda of Mr. President; the poverty-reduction thrust of Vision 20: 2020 and worsened the Human Development Index In Nigeria.

It described the sudden removal of fuel subsidy on New Year’s Day as deceptive and lacking transparency because not only was the policy initially proposed for experimentation in April 2012 in order to allow for more robust dialogue and public discussion with all concerned stakeholders, each time fuel subsidy is removed, the proceeds develop wings and end up in the pockets and coffers of bureaucrats, petroleum ministers and their cohorts and they become billionaires overnight.

The NBA said that contrary to the impression being given by the government that there is no alternative to eliminating the subsidy, trillions of Naira would be freed up for developmental projects if the government applied half the vigour with which it has pursued the issue of the removal of subsidy to the eradication of corruption in all the arms of Government and in society.
[b]But where and if Government persists on this suicidal course of action, the association said, the options open to the people include:

•    A call on the National Assembly to officially and formally declare its position on the removal of fuel subsidy;
•    If the National Assembly sides with the People, then it must in the same transaction call on the President to rescind or reverse its actions on subsidy removal;
•    Should their call not be heeded by the President then the National Assembly should seriously consider impeachment proceedings; the president having lost the confidence of Nigerians to continue to rule or lead them;
•    If the Legislators fail to take the desired actions then Nigerians will commence the constitutional process to recall them.
The TMC similarly advised Mr. Jonathan that in place of his “lazy” policy of fuel subsidy removal, his government should:
•    Rehabilitate the nation’s moribund refineries for optimal performance;
•    Encourage private sector refineries through attractive incentives/tax concessions,
•    Improve the nation’s income potentials in agriculture/exports/manufacturing,
•    Fight against petroleum sector cabal, curb endemic corruption that caused operational inefficiencies of NNPC by establishing Loot Recovery Fund (LRF); and
•    Implement fiscal discipline by cutting down on cost of governance including those earmarked for the Senate/National Assembly/Presidency/Villa put at several billions.[/b]

On its support of Labour’s intended action, CNPP said in its statement, which was signed by Osita Okechukwu, its National Publicity Secretary, that it was making the pledge hoping that Labour will not renege and compromise until President Jonathan reverses his ignoble decision on subsidy removal, builds new refineries, frees NNPC from rampant corruption and reduces the jumbo cost of running government, especially the presidency.

“We agree with Federal Government argument that there is no gain without pain,” CNPP said, “however we cannot locate the pain of government officials when N300m for the purchase of crested wares – special marked plates, cups and cutleries is in the 2012 Budget submitted by President Jonathan to the National Assembly.”

CNPP recalled how it had pleaded with Labour “not to support the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and by extension President Jonathan in the April elections; reminding them that the PDP’s economic policy is Food is Ready and their motto is share the money; which is 360 degrees at variance with the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles of State Policy, clearly spelt out in Chapter 2 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

The NBA warned that if anything untoward happens in the course of the protests, the blood of innocent Nigerians will be on the head of President Goodluck Jonathan.

“In every democracy, a leader or leaders must rule or govern according to the will of the people,” the association said.  “No leader has a monopoly of knowledge or wisdom over and above that of the people that put him there. At all times government must remain responsive and accountable to the will of the people or face the consequences.”