•Why Nigerians don’t want governors to distribute palliatives
Christopher B. Sarki, former Route Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the National Chairman, Coalition to Strengthen Democracy for Good Governance Initiative (CSDGGI) has explained why most Nigerians are uncomfortable with governors being in charge of the planned distribution of palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy on petrol.
In an interview with DICKSON OKAFOR, Sarki noted that many people no longer trust state governors because of how they hoarded foodstuff and items put in their care to help vulnerable Nigerians cushion the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020. Sarki also stated that no amount of palliatives would solve the challenges of poverty and hardship in the country, adding that fuel prices would continue to skyrocket until the local refineries are fixed.
He also spoke about insecurity, ECOWAS-Niger impasse in the aftermath of the military coup in that country as well as other burning issues.
The Tinubu administration has announced plans to distribute palliatives to Nigeria’s poorest following Labour’s threats after the removal of fuel subsidy. Labour has kicked against the distribution of palliatives by the state governor. How best can these palliatives get to the vulnerable Nigerians?
Nigerians and NLC were forced to protest and embark on a nationwide strike because President Tinubu did not make provisions to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal before making the declaration during his inauguration on May 29. However, even they do not see how palliatives and stipend can cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal without fixing the nation’s refineries which is the only means through which fuel price can be stabilised. Nigerians did not believe that the palliatives will be well distributed going by their experience during COVID-19 palliatives distributions which is a big lesson. We saw how goods donated by good spirited Nigerians and multinational organisations to Nigeria were hoarded in many warehouse across the country by some government officials that was supposed to be given to poor Nigerians to cushion the effects of COVID-19. So, that is why they expressed loss of trust on the state governors who may likely be the ones to distribute the palliatives and cash transfer to the vulnerable poor Nigerians. That is an indictment on the state governors and some government officials because they have not been fair to Nigerians. The people drew Tinubu’s attention to their past experience because they believe that the cash transfer will go the same way the COVID-19 palliatives went. Again, even the social register instituted by the immediate past administration was a scam and conduit for stealing government funds. Therefore, Nigerians are angry that their state governments will superintendent over the gesture and that is the reason why they have stridently told President Tinubu administration not to stir their ire by allowing state governors to come within touching distance of the money the federal government wants to give to the vulnerable poor Nigerians under the cash transfer initiative. This is critical because not all poor Nigerians have bank account and even those that have bank account may not get the money because there is fear that government officials may corner the money and the palliatives. However, I urge President Tinubu to devise another means through which the palliatives could get to the poorest of the poor who are worse hit by the effects of fuel subsidy removal. Any interference by state governors in the distribution of the palliatives will be counterproductive because it won’t get to the vulnerable poor Nigerians who the gesture is meant for. For instance, the Trader Money, Anchor Borrower Programme and other social investments initiative that was introduced by former President Buhari’s government did not yield the desired result because the money was siphoned by few government officials and did not get to poor Nigerians. We only heard about them on television, radio and we read about it on pages of newspapers. I can’t point at one person I know that benefitted from these social programmes. The available reports show that about four million Nigerians have been pushed into poverty in the last six months. And the figure is likely to rise because of weakness of safety nets as well as over-stretching of the alternative social platforms which include churches and mosques that are used to help alleviate poverty. So, I advise Tinubu to formulate a process by which these palliatives can get to the poorest of the poor.
Don’t you think that the sudden removal of fuel subsidy by Tinubu without provision of palliatives to cushion its effects provoked Nigerians to protest and agitate against subsidy removal?
Yes, it was the major reason, even though we were caught unawares and unprepared. Because if you remember, former President Muhammadu Buhari had removed fuel subsidy from this year’s budget which took effect from June. So, because we didn’t foresee that the present administration was going to remove fuel subsidy at inception, which is the reason for NLC strike and protest across the country. I’m not against fuel subsidy removal, but I’m against the hasty removal without provision of palliatives to cushion its effects before the declaration by President Tinubu. Right now cost of living is high and prices of food items have gone up. Don’t forget that we agitated that fuel subsidy should be removed some years back which Nigerians saw as a scam. The expectation was that President Tinubu should have settled down in office and put up certain provisions and palliatives to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal before taking such decision. To me, fuel subsidy removal by President Bola Tinubu during his swearing-in at Eagle Square on May 29 was hasty. Because immediately he announced that fuel subsidy was gone petrol station operators quickly adjusted their metres and raised the pump price of petrol from N195 to as high as N500 and N700 a litre in some parts of the country. As it stands, fuel subsidy removal has brought more pain to Nigerians. There is anguish in the country as transport fare and price of food items has skyrocketed. Urban dwellers have resorted to trekking, families have cut back on non-essentials expenses and they have also adjusted other lifestyles. I thank God that President Tinubu was able to sit down with NLC and Trade Union Congress (TUC) leaders and reach a compromise which has made labour to go back to the drawing board.
Do you see the provision of palliatives as the only means to cushion the effects of subsidy removal?
I don’t see palliatives as real means to cushion the effects of subsidy removal because if government increases worker’s salary, market women will also increase price of food items, landlords will increase house rents and price of other materials and services will as well go up. However, I’m glad that Tinubu has assured Nigerians that the Port Harcourt Refinery will be fixed in five months. The answer to the pains brought to us by fuel subsidy removal is to revive the nation’s refineries because if our refineries start functioning, price of fuel will come down drastically. I was shocked when I discovered that Nigeria is the only oil-producing country in the world that does not have one refinery working. It is a shame on us that none of our refineries is functioning. Instead, we took our crude to other countries to refine after which we bring it back, subsidise it and sell to Nigerians. That is why Nigerians cannot forgive former President Buhari because he failed to revive at least one refinery in eight years. Buhari promised to revive the nation’s refineries in 2014 and 2019 during his campaign if elected President of Nigeria, but surprisingly, he could not fix even one. So, except Tinubu revives the nation’s refineries, no amount of palliatives will cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. Meanwhile, I commend Tinubu for putting an end to the 46 years-old monster called fuel subsidy.
Are you saying that this hardship faced by Nigerians will continue until the nation’s refineries are revived?
Is there any oil-producing nation that implements fuel subsidy? There is no nation that operates fuel subsidy except Nigeria. No society ever thrived because it had a large and growing class of parasites living off those who produce. If you look around the streets of Nigeria, you will see an army of young men and women who are jobless because there is no job anywhere. Unfortunately, the farmers that produce the food we eat are being chased and killed by terrorists in their farms. That is one of the contributing factors to food shortage in the country and because of this Nigeria cannot develop as a nation. No nation can develop without security.
For instance, Singapore was one of the poorest countries in the world with illiterate population, but late Lee Kuan Yew transformed that country through setting up of Economic Development Board through instituting security which was aimed at attracting foreign direct investment. So, Tinubu should as a matter of urgent importance, replicate this strategy in Nigeria. Meanwhile, he has taken the right step in the right direction by appointing capable and trusted military officer as the Chief of Defence Staff and Service Chiefs and by so doing very soon farmers will go back to their farms without fear of being killed or attacked by terrorists.
Do you mean that the appointment of service chiefs could help in tackling the challenges of insecurity?
Yes, because whenever a good leader emerges the people will rejoice and that was exactly what prompted the jubilation not only in the North-West, but across Nigeria. Not only in Nigeria, peoplewere happy immediately President Tinubu announced Gen Musa as the new Chief of Defence Staff. Even those in the Diaspora welcomed his choice as Gen Lucky Irabor’s successor because he is a tested and trusted military officer, having successfully carried out military operations both in the country and outside Nigeria. In his acceptance speech which he re-echoed during his decoration recently by President Tinubu in the Presidential Villa, Gen Musa reiterated the determination of the military to go after terrorists. He made it clear that no hiding place for criminal elements and for marauding bandits. However, to Nigerians who know Gen. Musa, this warning is not a mere threat to terrorists and criminals. It is real. Therefore, his appointment as CDS by Tinubu marks the end of insecurity in Nigeria.
Why are you so confident? Former president Buhari made similar changes yet, the military could not end insurgency
General Musa is a professional and God fearing general who lives within his earnings and he’s guided by the military rules and ethics and more so gives high attention to his soldiers welfare and incentives. By so doing, he boosts the mind of anyone working directly or indirectly with him. He is a man who matches his words with actions and his appointment as the CDS is a strong wind of relief we will experience in the nation in terms of security. His pedigree and track records are unparalleled. He is a team player that listens to advice but very unpredictable. So is his crop of service chiefs. So, we should expect the desired results. It is important to note that strategy drives vision and security agents should be professionals and not partisan. Security is not a standalone issue, but a good team work which will eventually produce result. That was the reason for the ovation that greeted the appointment of Gen Musa and the service chiefs which show that his antecedents are there to be seen by Nigerians. What the CDS promised Nigerians while carrying out his duties are fairness, transparency and credibility. I believe that Gen. Musa and his subordinates will end terrorism in Nigeria because genuine acceptance of responsibility brings grace. The people that are being killed, kidnapped and maimed are Nigerians who committed no offence, but were killed for no reason by Boko Haram, bandits and criminals. Yes, former president Buhari made few changes. Even though they did not eradicate it, this time around, the new leadership of the military are resolute to end insurgency in Nigeria.
What is your assessment of Tinubu’s ministerial nominees who have been confirmed by the Senate?
The confirmed ministerial nominees are not mainly a recycled crop of people who have been in governance for years as we used to have, but fresh brains. It is the prerogative of the president to nominate members of his cabinet. And because most of them before now were not in the public sphere, but are technocrats, few former governors and few members of the National Assembly. So, let’s wait after they have been assigned portfolios then we can set agenda and begin to assess them.
Do you see Tinubu scaling through the court with the presidential mandate?
Yes, it is possible that the court can confirm Tinubu’s victory in its judgment, even though there were a lot of discrepancies during the presidential election. But the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did its best to conclude the election and result announced. All hands must be on deck to ensure that democracy is sustained in Nigeria because whatever the challenges Nigerians and Africans are facing under democracy, we must keep moving forward because the only best form of government is democracy,
Do you think ECOWAS’s actions against Niger Republic in the aftermath of the coup in that country have been commendable?
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) shouldn’t have given a short notice to the coup plotters in Niger hRepublic to reinstall Bazoum or face military action. President Bola Tinubu as the Chairman of ECOWAS with his counterparts in the other ECOWAS countries should explore all necessary media at are available to dialogue with the coup plotters and it is after these medium is exhausted that ECOWAS can use force to dislodge them. Even members of European Union (EU) have sanctioned Niger Republic and other foreign organization have also vowed not to recognise the government in that country. So, my advice to President Tinubu is that he should be careful because Niger Republic is close to Nigeria as we are still battling Boko Haram and bandits in Sambisa forest so that if war breaks out between ECOWAS and the coupists, they won’t use the opportunity to penetrate into Nigeria.