President Goodluck Jonathan And State Governors Meet Over Subsidy Crisis
President Goodluck Jonathan will early this morning meet with the 36 state governors to find a way to get them involved in the provision of palliatives at the state level to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy.
The removal of subsidy and deregulation of the pricing of petrol has led to nationwide protests, with workers planning to commence nationwide strike on Monday. Speaking Thursday, Governor Gabriel Suswam of Benue State said it was necessary for the government to remove the subsidy so that for the first time, it would be used in the interest of the common man in the rural areas across the country.
He said removing the subsidy would open up the sector to investors and restore production, warning that if Nigeria continues to be a consumer nation, the country would be doomed and could not be like the advanced countries that “we desire to be like”. On the impending strike, he said labour should join hands with the government to rebuild the country and make it a heaven on earth rather than buying into the argument that the old order should continue.
“The president genuinely and sincerely has promised that wherever money that will be realised from savings that will be made will be ploughed towards improving the living standards of Nigerians and I think the man deserves to be given a chance. If we take it that over the years promises have been made and that promises have been broken, therefore no chance should be given to any leader, then we are heading towards doom.
“Going on strike or closing down government is not the solution. My appeal to labour is that let's sit down and look at the issues. For everything, there must be a beginning. These are genuine efforts as we have seen to make a difference towards the progress of this country. I therefore think that labour and well-meaning Nigerians should come together and give the president a chance instead of people playing politics with the removal of fuel subsidy. I think it is beyond that.
“If we just want to be a consuming nation, then we don't have a future. Over the years, that is what we have been doing. So, we need to stand up as a country together and sacrifice so that we can guarantee the future of this country,” Suswam said. Tasked on the timing of the removal of the subsidy, he said delaying the implementation was delaying the inevitable which will continue eating into the purse of the nation.
Suswam who challenged the argument retorted: “What do you mean timing? When is the right time? When you talk about timing, you are leaving the main issue. What is the substance of the issue? Is it timing? No, it is not timing. It is about the fact that at some point in time, the decision must be taken. In a country with 160 million people, there is no way you can reach a consensus on any issue but it is incumbent on leadership and it is imperative on leadership that decision must be taken for the interest of the country and I believe that the president genuinely have the interest of the country at heart.”
He said the government had engaged all segments of the society in discussions before the policy was implemented and wondered what else the people expected from the president if not to do things in the greater interest of the country. He denied that those in government were pushing the effects to the already poor populace without cutting their own life styles which are based on opulence, pointing out that the presidential system of government was very costly.
“But it is beyond the issue of cutting expenses. We are practising a very expensive system of government. We cannot run away from it. The presidential system of government is very expensive. It is either that we continue to practise the system or go to a lesser expensive system of government. But as far as we continue with the presidential system of government, those incidental expenses must be there. You cannot run away from them.
“These are facts that you cannot run away from. All of us are going through the pains. Don't think that you sit inside a siren so you are insulated from the pains. No. Because you have relatives. Everything comes back to you. You have a whole state that you are presiding. Whatever pains the people are going through, you go through those pains as well. You have to manage the little resources available in the face of contending issues on them.
“The president will be meeting with us tomorrow for us to further look at how states can also key into some of the palliative measures which the president has put forward because a lot of states for the first time will be getting subsidy. The savings from this, at least Benue will be getting N7.6 billion. It is a drop in the ocean but it will make a difference. If I decide that that N7.6 billion is going to build classrooms, I can achieve that. That subsidy now goes to the common man who ordinarily has never benefited from subsidy,” he said.
what happens if you decide to pocket it you can acheive it, that subsidy now goes to your pocket who has always benefited from sudsidy
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