AFTERMATH OF PARTIAL REMOVAL OF FUEL SUBSIDY

Today should have marked the total removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) but the Federal Government decided to put the cart before the horse. On the first day of the year(2012),the F.G in its wisdom decided to inflict unnecessary pains on its citizens by implementing the total removal of subsidy on PMS but later reversed the decision due to pressure from civil organisations,Nigerians in general and the national strike embarked upon by the labour unions. It should still be fresh in our minds that the presidency unilatterally decided to increase the price of fuel from the previous #65 per litre which i found to be frivolous and unacceptable in an oil producing nation to #141per litre in the name of removing subsidy citing that some 'CABALS' have hijacked the funds being used to subsidize PMS.January 10 2011,President Goodluck Jonathan also announced that the F.G has decided to reduce the price of PMS from #141 to #97per litre,a decision the labour unions claimed it was unilatterally reached by the presidency. Three months into this national issue,Nigerians are still where they were since the price of PMS was inncreased,their living condition haven't improved,the questions that were raised during the strike and protest in January are still there unattended to,fuel subsidy still exist cum making the cabals richer. Palliatives that were promised are still being expected,refineries and capital projects are still where they was in january,probe panel that was inaugurated on the floor of the national assembly is still postponing the submission of its report. The question that has being on my mind since the strike was controversially suspended is that does subsidy really exist?.Did the FG actually removed subsidy or it only increased the price of PMS?. When will project SEEDS and SURE become a reality or will it end up being like other projects e.g.MDG and VISION 2010 cum VISION 202020?. OPEOLUWA from UNAAB.

GEJ ADMINISTRATION; The Good,The Bad and The Ugly (pt1)

For three frightening years,Nigeria lost over one million of its citizens in bloody civil war which rrupted almost 40years ago.The aftermath of the Biafran war fortunately brought about peace and reconciliation,without totally solving the underlying of the conflict.The millitary junta Nigeria witnessed has not only poisoned the well of optimism diligently dredged up by our fore-fathers but has also regrettably inhibited the evolution of our young democracy Twelve more years into our democracy,nigeria has moved into a fragile stage. To be more precise and brief,i will be taking into account the the event of the last two years of Goodluck Jonathan admininstration(GEJ),which i splitted into the good,bad and ugly. I find it dismally outrageous not being able to write encouraging and soul-lifting about the GEJ administration except for the last genral elections which was adjudged to be the best since the botched 1993general elections although the april election has being villified in some quarters. The Bad:Readers,i will have to summarise this part because of the obvious. Starting from the sports sector,the last two years has been nigeria's worst.All our national teams has either failed to qualify or managed to qualify and then got embarrased.Team nigeria at the last common wealth games and world athletics championships all failed woefully.The football sector has become an eye-sore with nothing tangible to write about othetr than ineptitude administrators.Forvthe first time in my lifetime nigeria failed to qualify for the nations cup. The economy of the nation is going into a red alert stage thanks to GEJ economy team lacklustre management skills.Nigeri's debt profile has risen geometrically over the past two years. The self acclaimed peoples representatives(National Assembly) are not helping matters with their exubberant allowances,A situation where a sebatot takes home a quarter pf a billion annually is suicidal to the economy. (to bE contInuEd nExt-week) Opeoluwa from UNAAB