Muna Chinedu & Chetanne Chinelo, Enugu
The lawmaker representing Ezeagu Council in the Enugu State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Barr. Chima Obieze has called the attention of the Nigerian government to how less effective the sharing of palliatives have become as a way to deal with the effects of economic downturn following the removal of fuel subsidy.
Rt. Hon. Chima Obieze made this call while speaking at the third edition of the Frontier Discourse Annual Public Lecture Series and Awards organized by Pacesetter Frontier Magazine, a print and online media outfit headquartered in Enugu, covering the Southeast, Southsouth and the FCT, an event where he was a Special Guest of Honour.
At the event held on November 18, 2023, with the theme “The Post Subsidy Economy-Exploring Bold Initiatives for Economic Recovery in Nigeria”, Obieze insisted that although he wasn’t against the removal of fuel subsidy, the palliative economy was not sustainable, calling on leaders to focus on building a sustainable economy.
Tracing the history of subsidy removal, the young Lawmaker recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan had removed subsidy in 2012.
In his words: “We had just entered the new year, I think January 2, 2012, when President Jonathan announced the deregulation of the oil downstream sector, what we call removal of subsidy, and all hell was let loose in Nigeria. Of course that gave birth to the occupy Nigeria protest.
“However, that protest had all the inklings of a sponsored protest. It was the first time that deliciously cooked Jollof rice was served in a protest, the first time Labour Leaders protested with well decorated uniforms, and you will wonder if Labour had the money to organize such a protest. All the celebrities in Nigeria were a part of it.
“What was obvious was that some persons wanted Jonathan’s administration to fail. They painted the issue of subsidy removal as being anti-people but today, the sponsors and participants of that protest, the likes of Pastor Tunde Bakare, Prof. Wole Soyinka, etc are now supporting the removal of subsidy [by Tinubu]”.
Lamenting that the cost of PMS had gone up from about N90 per liter when Jonathan’s administration removed subsidy to as high as N700 per litre presently, Obieze noted that government must be guided by “Section 14 of the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended” to ensure the security and welfare of the people by considering the immediate plight of the common man.
“I’m tired of palliatives of bags of rice and tin tomatoes. The 10kg bags of rice shared as palliatives, how long can it feed a family of five? I have always believed that palliatives cannot save us, we need to make better economic policies, attract investors, and empower the people.
“I propose that we give our people the proper palliative which is good governance, not paying civil servants N30,000 as minimum wage. Minimum wage must be increased, job opportunities must be created, young graduates must begin to receive stipends before they get employed. These are the kind of palliatives that we want”, he added.
Recall that the event witnessed the presentation of various awards of excellence to some citizens of Nigeria who have stood out in their careers, for a course, or in their lifetime so far in many regards.
The Frontier Discourse Annual Public Lecture Series and Awards brings people from all areas of life to hold discussions on our polity, economy, leadership, capital and human resource, etc, all with the principal aim to continue to contribute positively to the continuous growth of our society and nation.