PRESS STATEMENT BY PETER EKEKWE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR GARDENCITY LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE

WEEPING ENDURES FOR A NIGHT, BUT JOY COMES IN THE MORNING.

The Announcement of the full deregulation of the oil sector has generated so much heat, that it is important to call for caution. Nigerians have gotten so used to buying fuel at subsidized rates that it was natural to equate deregulation with withdrawal of subsidy. By withdrawing subsidy, Government is simply saying that it is time the forces of demand and supply control the oil market; it is time people pay the real price of what they consume.

By deregulating the oil sector Government is saying it is time private investors are encouraged to invest in the sector, it is time to create jobs, empower the people and grow the economy. The administration of Olusegun Obasanjo gave about 20 (Twenty) licences for people to build refineries but till date not one has been built and we do not need rocket scientists to tell us why – No refinery will survive with fuel selling at N65! Thus it is wrong to think that having 100 refineries will reduce fuel cost to even below N65 as some people have reasoned.

In Ghana where the oil sector was fully deregulated about a month ago, fuel sells forN184 and the people are living with it because it is the only way to nurture and grow their young oil industry.

Our politicians should rise above their selfishness and for the Civil Society it is to time to get out of the political frame .When the ACN Government in Lagos “ deregulated” the Lekki-Epe express road, nothing was heard from the National secretariat of ACN condemning the resultant hike in transport fare and  increase in price of goods and services. How many of our human right activists condemned the move because of the hardship it brought to the people of the area? We believe their support for the “deregulation” of the road was (like we believe too) for good, though there may be pains in the shot-run.

This is no time to make inflammatory statements because we want to be politically correct. Deregulation of the oil sector is a painful but necessary evil and we must commend the President for the courage, boldness and audacity to do that which is right against all odds.

However, as we commend the President, we demand (1) an all- out cleansing of the PPPRA, and every Agency involved in the subsidy fraud. Which Port(s) has the capacity to handle the volume of products for which Oando, AP etc. received payments for, under one year? EFCC should move in and do their job. If they had the capacity to import all the products for which they received subsidy payments, where did they store the products? Is it a coincidence that since the issue of subsidy came to the front burner most Oando and AP stations had been under lock and key? (2) A drastic review of the cost of Governance starting from the size of the Presidency/States to the Salaries and allowances of members of National and State Houses of Assembly, Ministers, Commissioners and Local Government Officials. (3)  A probe of all TAM contracts awarded by the NNPC in the last six years with a view to bringing to justice those who collected monies and failed to deliver on the job.(4) Urgent passage by the National Assembly of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB).

The courage shown by Mr President in handling the deregulation of the oil sector should come into play in the fight against corruption. Nigerians are not against the removal of subsidy, but are asking for all citizens to be treated equally in the drive to save our economy from imminent collapse.

Fellow Nigerians, on these demands we should be willing to lead organised, peaceful protests, but for the deregulation of the oil sector, Mr President deserves our commendations.

We call on labour and civil society to think through the agitations for strikes and protests. Our history is replete with strikes in the past that yielded no dividends. We cannot afford to put our people through more hardships and expose our youths to further danger.

Finally, let me end with The VERDICT delivered by Segun Adeniyi of THISDAY NEWSPAPER on Thursday, January 5, 2012

“THIS COULD BE THE SINGLE MOST DEVASTATING BLOW TO ORGANISED CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA INVOLVING COLLUSION BETWEEN THE PRIVATE SECTOR (BANKERS, MARKETERS, SHIPPERS ETC) AND TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS. THESE VESTED INTERESTS WILL DEFINITELY FIGHT BACK IN A SUBTLE BUT LETHAL MANNER BECAUSE IF THE POLICY SUCCEEDS NIGERIANS WILL THEN GET TO KNOW HOW MUCH FUEL WE HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN CONSUMING AND THEN THERE WILL BE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HUNDREDS OF BILLIONS OF NAIRA THAT HAVE GONE INTO THE POCKETS OF SOME FAT CATS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THEIR COLLABORATORS IN GOVERNMENT…….A NON-SUBSIDY REGIME WILL FREE THE FEDERATION ACCOUNT FROM THE ABRACADABRA ACCOUNTING OF THE NNPC”

Thank you Ladies and Gentlemen.

God bless you

God bless Nigeria.

PETER EKEKWE

Email ekekwe@yahoo.com

0805 999 6040