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is faulty; from the family
cycle to the community
and to the state. Hence all
of us have a share in the
blame. Let us return to the
question. The last election
which you called a kind of
'hijack' were not actually
h i j a c ke d . D e m o c ra c y
p r e s u p p o s e s t h a t
aggregate opinion should
be allowed, and from the
aggregation of opinion,
majority will always carry
the day while the voice of
minority will still be heard.
In the last presidential
election, we saw the array
of candidates on different Nigeria out of Egypt and the country would be better with time.
political platforms. They Gadfly: Thank you sir. We respect and appreciate your opinion
went round the nooks and on that question all the same. Sir, the recent policy of the
crannies of the country, removal of fuel subsidy has caused untold hardships, and has
sending their messages to led to numerous misdoings such as unnecessary price hiking,
the people who accepted fuel hoarding, and syphoning of money both on the part of
them to be so. It is a human citizens and the government. In honesty, as a leader, do you
institution and not a divine consider this policy reasonable and relevant? If yes or no, how
institution hence the gaps can you advise Nigerians to cope with it judiciously?
that were witnessed were
ex p e c te d . We d o n o t Honourable: Thank you very much. We had about four major
expect a perfect process candidates in the last presidential elections. Of the four, three
but above all, we have had a accepted that fuel subsidy should go; Bola Ahmed Tinubu of APC,
smooth transition from one Atiku Abubakar of PDP and Peter Obi of LP. By implication , if any
democratically elected had won (aside Tinubu), they would have equally removed
president to another. subsidy. The only person who refused that was Rabiu Musa
Notwithstanding the harsh Kwankwoso of NNPP. Now, you have gone to see a doctor and out
situations that we are in, of four different consultants whom you went to, three diagnosed
these are all processes of you of brain tumour which had to be removed. Obviously, the
growth and development. three consultants are most likely to be more correct. Now the
Rome was not built in a day brain tumour here is fuel subsidy that was shrouded in a lot of
and definitely, in the secrecy. Nigeria was spending monies that were not accounted
process of building, we for and which were going into the pockets of very few individuals
would experience some of
INTERVIEW
whereas we had so many unmet needs. Therefore, to remove the
these ups and downs. Just
subsidy was the best for me, and the hardships that followed were
as you likened it to the
the consequences which were expected. For instance, if a tumour
'Exodus from Egypt', the
is removed, it comes with consequences such as pain and
Exodus was not without its
discomfort before the healing process is completed. You cannot
ups and downs. Little
say the easier way would be to take pain reliever and allow the
WITH
wonder then, the Israelites
tumour to stay because definitely you would only be extending
had to rebel against Moses
the evil days. If the present government had been reluctant to
to take them back to Egypt
remove fuel subsidy like the previous government with the
because in the course of
conviction that at least things are okay because the price of fuel is
the journey, even though
low, then one day we might wake up to realise that there is no
they got manna, they
HON. money again in the country. On another hand, what are the
faithful to would take ERNEST
complained that it was not
positive consequences of the fuel subsidy removal? One
enough. The processes that
advantage is that more revenue has accrued to the coffers of
we see today are the
government. The Nigerian government is earning revenues in
processes that if we remain
trillions. Recently, it was published that Federation Account
ABNER DA’A
Committee (FAC) shared 2.07 trillion naira to the federal, state and