It's bewildering that GEJ and his assembled pseudo-jingoes are still under the illusion that the current impasse is all about the removal of fuel subsidy. He still doesn't get it and he's being shielded from the reality on the ground. I have no time for sentiments of any sort, but this President is, politically speaking, a dodo. To revive himself, and by extension, his government, he has to tackle his propensity for stumbling from crisis to crisis. This guy is overwhelmed but many of his missteps to date have been due to his own lack of clear understanding of what it takes to be a President of a country as politically, culturally, religiously and socially diverse as Nigeria. These diversities are actually the attraction of our country, but the benefits of those diversities have not been dexterously harvested.
Back to the issue of fuel subsidy, TurningPoint in, http://9jainc.blogspot.com/2011/10/economic-ignominy-mtff-to-rescue.html , expressed in no uncertain terms the fundamentals that are required before Nigerians could be reasonably expected to absorb the pain of fuel subsidy removal. I have no need, nor the inclination, to repeat any of these, but isn't the belated attempt to bring forward a raft of concessions (as 'narrated' by the President on Saturday) rather tenuous, daft, insulting and irksomely condescending? Who is GEJ fooling but himself? Curbing overseas travels, paring salaries of political officials, launching mass transit nationally, etc; all amount to a futile attempt by a desperate government to appease a population that has been pummelled into near submission by corruption for decades. Simple fact: Nigerians want to see corrupt politicians and officials severely punished and their ill-gotten wealth confiscated for the benefit of the country. Money disappearing via corruption annually dwarfs the amount purported to be saved via the removal of fuel subsidy.
GEJ should wake up to the realization that Nigerians are not stupid: all they are asking for is to be treated equitably, and they will support the government in any initiative it may propose because they would know that the pain would, ultimately, be worth it. No more, no less. This political faux pas needs fixing before the public unrest turns even uglier. GEJ, grasp the logic and show some fortitude while you still have the chance. You cannot wish away the problems you have brought upon yourself and the country now. GEJ, take a look at what your inbox contains, and they, indeed, need the most urgent attention:
Corruption: You have NO COURAGE to deal with it. The cowardice you have displayed speaks volumes.
Boko Haram: No intelligible strategy to decisively confront it. Again, you have shown NO COURAGE.
Infrastructure: No credible plan in place to turn things round. You're like a rabbit caught in headlamps.
Fuel Subsidy: Did you ever think of going after the fraudsters behind the ballooning costs of the subsidy before clobbering Nigerians and virtually extinguishing their hope?
Cost of governance: I challenge you to name a country that costs more to run than Nigeria. Why on earth do you deserve to earn more than the American President? Why do the buffoonish legislators, uneducated governors and hopeless ministers deserve what they earn? Can't you think, for goodness' sake?
Nigerians have been hurting for more than 50 years, but never more so than now. Don't you have a drop of compassionate blood in you? Go after the bastards and come back to us for some sacrifices, and I guarantee that you'll get them. Do you have the mettle? Well, the time to convince us is NOW.
Back to the issue of fuel subsidy, TurningPoint in, http://9jainc.blogspot.com/2011/10/economic-ignominy-mtff-to-rescue.html , expressed in no uncertain terms the fundamentals that are required before Nigerians could be reasonably expected to absorb the pain of fuel subsidy removal. I have no need, nor the inclination, to repeat any of these, but isn't the belated attempt to bring forward a raft of concessions (as 'narrated' by the President on Saturday) rather tenuous, daft, insulting and irksomely condescending? Who is GEJ fooling but himself? Curbing overseas travels, paring salaries of political officials, launching mass transit nationally, etc; all amount to a futile attempt by a desperate government to appease a population that has been pummelled into near submission by corruption for decades. Simple fact: Nigerians want to see corrupt politicians and officials severely punished and their ill-gotten wealth confiscated for the benefit of the country. Money disappearing via corruption annually dwarfs the amount purported to be saved via the removal of fuel subsidy.
GEJ should wake up to the realization that Nigerians are not stupid: all they are asking for is to be treated equitably, and they will support the government in any initiative it may propose because they would know that the pain would, ultimately, be worth it. No more, no less. This political faux pas needs fixing before the public unrest turns even uglier. GEJ, grasp the logic and show some fortitude while you still have the chance. You cannot wish away the problems you have brought upon yourself and the country now. GEJ, take a look at what your inbox contains, and they, indeed, need the most urgent attention:
Corruption: You have NO COURAGE to deal with it. The cowardice you have displayed speaks volumes.
Boko Haram: No intelligible strategy to decisively confront it. Again, you have shown NO COURAGE.
Infrastructure: No credible plan in place to turn things round. You're like a rabbit caught in headlamps.
Fuel Subsidy: Did you ever think of going after the fraudsters behind the ballooning costs of the subsidy before clobbering Nigerians and virtually extinguishing their hope?
Cost of governance: I challenge you to name a country that costs more to run than Nigeria. Why on earth do you deserve to earn more than the American President? Why do the buffoonish legislators, uneducated governors and hopeless ministers deserve what they earn? Can't you think, for goodness' sake?
Nigerians have been hurting for more than 50 years, but never more so than now. Don't you have a drop of compassionate blood in you? Go after the bastards and come back to us for some sacrifices, and I guarantee that you'll get them. Do you have the mettle? Well, the time to convince us is NOW.
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