ABUJA— Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP, Sunday, faulted President Goodluck Jonathan’s remarks that the country will crash if subsidy on petroleum products was not removed.
CNPP asked Jonathan to read the lips of his countrymen, legislators, trade unions and clergy and shelve proposal to remove the subsidy.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Osita Okechukwu, CNPP further advised the President to wake up to the challenges facing the sector by building refineries and hand them over to credible managers as well as rehabilitate the four refineries and stop enriching and awarding national honours to the cartel of petroleum product importers.
It said: “CNPP is outraged over the afore-mentioned statement credited to President Goodluck Jonathan during the meeting with members of the National Assembly at Aso Villa.
“The statement is not only unpresidential and unpatriotic; but calls into question the motive of President Jonathan in fiercely rejecting public opinion against the fuel taxation, which is the meaning of removal of the so-called petroleum products subsidy.
“CNPP is at a loss how Mr. President, who came from a humble background, went to school on barefoot without sandals and came to power by good luck; will align himself with those in favour of fuel taxation, hence building a poor country of few rich people. He should read the lips of his countrymen, legislators, trade unions and the clergy.
“We are of the candid view that the national consensus subsisting is that instead of wasting N1.2 trillion per annum in the last years in subsidising petroleum products importation; the money could have been used to build new refineries, employ Nigerians and utilise the crude oil derivatives to power our textile industries.
“Our survey shows that a 250, 000 barrels per day capacity refinery costs about $5 billion to install and this can be completed in less than 24 months.”
All we need is to erect two of such refineries, hand it over to credible managers and rehabilitate the four refineries and stop enriching and awarding national honours to the cartel of petroleum product importers.
“President Jonathan and his co-travelers are averse to this option; for them we all thieves, imbeciles and cannot manage the refineries – government has no business in business. They are waiting for private investors, some of whom got their licenses over a decade ago.
“The paradox is, if government has no business in business and we are all thieves, imbeciles and cannot manage the refineries, is it Mr President and his carpet-baggers who can manage prudently the Fuel Tax to provide safety net and infrastructure?
“In sum, Nigeria will not crash if the subsidy remains; what will crash is the goodwill of Mr President as he aligns with those who subvert Section 16{2c} of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria {as amended} which states, ‘The State shall direct its policy towards ensuring – that the economic system is not operated in such a manner as to permit the concentration of wealth or the means of production and exchange in the hands of few individuals or a group.”
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