Is government telling the truth about the downstream oil sector?

The NTA Tuesday Live yesterday, October 27, 2009 was about understanding the problems of the downstream oil sector and the panellists were a number of government stooges who had limited information about the issues on the ground. Those who phoned in and the audience were better informed than the government officials. I did not waste my time and money watching the programme, because I came to a greater realization. Information is power and the power is still with the people. I was very interested in this topic and had to keep awake and fuel my electric power generator. I believe most Nigerians did the same. What the government does not know is that Nigeria has a very large population of highly educated and well informed people, but unfortunately, these people hardly act until the crisis point because of patience and hope in the ability of insensitive rulers. The honourable member on the panel believed that Nigerians are not knowledgeable enough and he was guiding them with his euphemisms and sophisms, thinking he had a platform for good arguments. A cautionary note here, however, is that history repeats itself. When the government does not know its people, and thinks it knows the manipulative instruments of public will, things happen in ways that the ruler and the ruled will regret. It is not far behind us that the government fixed gate fee that excluded Nigerians from watching our football team play in Abuja. The politics of exclusion is staring us in the face and a member of the Economic Summit Group is a protagonist. What baffles me is that those who should have information do not seem to have it, or they have it but refuse to work with it out of selective discountenance. The politicians we have now are going to mess up the oil sector, if we are not doing something within our capacity to redirect them. Our legislators seem not to have research workers who bring contents to their thoughts and therefore, alienate themselves from the people they rule. We cannot progress without reformation of the individuals that must rule us in the direction of knowing the real needs and feelings of the people.

The honourable member of the house on the panel said the leadership was taking decision on the oil sector for our own good because we do not have the facts. He positioned the argument that price of fuel will be the incentive for private sector participation. That is untrue. The government guidelines and the operational incentives that facilitate business are the stimuli. Lower cost of doing business, guarantee for policy stability, tax waivers and crude cost discounts are some of the incentives refinery entrepreneurs are looking for. When government has created several operational bottlenecks that have nothing to do with fuel price, the refineries will not be established; and foreign producers of fuel will not co-operate with Nigeria without bilateral agreement that will be favourable to them in the long run.

The oil cabals have worked well to sustain the skewed operation of the sector, but their operation will eventually end in favour of public good. I know this because we have great hearts for goodness. My reassurance came this morning during rush hours when a Nigerian motor cyclist in business suit stopped to control traffic in a messy hold-up. What a gracious thing to do! Nigerians know what is good for us. Arise Oh Compatriots, Nigerians call obey……. The workers in Nigeria and the general public must stand up to the issues now or never.