Lagos, Nigeria – Na wah o! I dey tell you, this Nigerian petrol saga no be small matter. Former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu no gree carry last when him come share the gingerful gist about how late President Muhammadu Buhari threaten am with sack if him no fit push through the petrol subsidy removal. E talk am during one virtual biz mentorship lecture on Monday, organized by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
Kachikwu no dey joke! Him na Minister of State for Petroleum from 2016 to 2019, and him say when he enter NNPC as Group Managing Director in 2015, na fuel queue wahala dey greet am. You fit imagine? The country no fit move because fuel no dey for station. Talk about economic activities, dem all go just freeze like say na January 1!
“My greatest challenge na those long queues wey dey for petrol stations. Very few Nigerians sabi how e dey pain person wey dey run the show to wake up see say everywhere don jam. Na why I dey go filling stations dey try help them, but e no easy.” Na so him brain waka reach investigation and discover say plenty of the subsidised petrol wey dem dey import dey waka go border. E be like say dem don turn Nigeria to petrol export country, abi wetin?
Kachikwu no fit rest. Him dey make moves, dey shout Buhari make the man increase pump price, but Buhari dey hold am tight because na populist stance e carry. Even after Kachikwu appeal well-well, the President come tell am, “You sabi the risk?” If e work, fine; if e no work, na sack wait for you. Na this risky game Kachikwu enter o!
E introduce wetin dem call ‘price modulation,’ wey mean say petrol price go dey reflect international market condition. And just like that, e fit clear the queues within 48 hours. As Kachikwu talk am: “That singular price adjustment wey I do, just remove the subsidy completely. After that, wahala no dey again until I comot from office.” Na so him fit close eye small at least, and Nigerians too begin feel ehn.
But wait! He no stop there o. Kachikwu come throway another bombshell – him refuse pay billions of naira for subsidy arrears wey dey follow am. Reason? Transparency no dey. Him no go fit confirm wetin dem dey claim; so, he just waka pass am.
As we talk about this fuel matter, Kachikwu also comment on the recent subsidy removal wey President Bola Tinubu do, him talk say e dey inevitable, but dem suppose package am well-well with plans for refineries, good transport systems, and the communities wey dey produce the oil. No be say just remove ya family gbele and leave person for market to fend for himself o!
Wetin we fit learn from this whole drama? Na say for Nigeria, truth dey play hide-and-seek with the people wey dey run the show. E no easy to balance power, people, and fuel o! But no worry, as the saga dey unfold, we go dey watch out together.
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