When such a country for instance experiences some spiteful conditions of living caused by her leaders such as chaos, injustices, moral decadence, bribery and corruption, social and economic problems become the lots of the citizens. This constitutes an irritating status quo for the people. George Shim disclosed in his book, "that worrying kills more people than disease does." Oh yes, only a dead person can doubt such assertion. No doubt that this situation of worries has equally become our inheritance in our country, Nigeria. It is a situation that our leaders (past and present) have very often heightened through their usually unforeseen hike of oil through the deceptive cloak of deregulatory procedures.
Suffice it is to say that, the deregulation could be a mischievous clever way by which our leaders have increased the weight of their purses without our realizing it. Hence, today it is asked: What is the reaction of the Nigerian Labour Congress over this anomaly? It is nation-wide strike actions. What is the prevalent utterance of our present leaders? It is that the world is a better place. And what is the fate of the Nigerian citizens? It is that the world is being converted to their inferno. Yes, every wise Tom, Dick and Harry can now notice that our country's rule of life and new motto is fast becoming, "Oil marketers, to live more, Nigerian leaders to live most, and the innocent citizens to face the consequences of the evils being committed by their leaders. What an unjust society!
The oil price saga is coming down memory lane; Nigeria has been classed amongst the richest oil producing nations. The records have had her as the seventh oil producing nation in the whole world, not until recently when the records have proved the notion of Nigeria's status with regards to oil production as erroneous, owing to the frequent unexpected oil scarcity prevalent rate in the Nigerian nation. This has always been coupled with hiking of the prices of petroleum products often tagged "deregulation strategy" by the past junta and the present incumbent democratic government. Our present government sticks vehemently to the notion that it is impossible for a nation to grow without a deregulation exercise or policy".
Today, even blind people or even enemies can strongly testify that leaders who are failures are always experts at introducing unnecessary and selfish programmes with some bewildered excuses. One may ask: What has been the opinions of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigerian masses on the deregulation exercise?
From a reliable source, it disclosed that the federal Government of Nigeria and the NLC ironically had agreed on the basic principles of deregulation of the down-stream sector of the oil economy of Nigeria, to ensure an adequate effectiveness through effective competitions.
But as the Labour Congress discovered later, the truth behind the policy, is that it has disagreed with the government noting that the process of the deregulation is closely associated with the unhealthy increase in oil prices; that the government creates scarcity of the petroleum products in order to press further her plan for the oil price increases.
However, we know that the fundamental principle of a deregulation could be realized through the presence of more than one force in a given economic sector of a nation(Oil Sector) etc. The oil sector can be deregulated by allowing other competitors into the field. This implies privately owned refineries operating along-side the government owned ones. This is a far cry from the present situation in the Nigeria system today. And with that, one wonders why the Nigeria government is being so economical with the truth and consequently being so wicked to her citizens.
Historically, the effect of deregulation began in Nigeria in 1987 during Gen.Ibrahim Babangida's regime as the Military president. Records have it that the pump price of petrol particularly was hiked from 20k per litre to 39.5k per litre.
In the following year, 1988, there was also a sudden increase which brought the price to 45k per litre. However, in March 1991, the price was hiked to 70k per litre. During this period, the masses posed certain questions on whether deregulation only meant an incessant hike in oil prices without any amelioration of the standard of living of the population. Despite, that the price was raised from 70k per litre to N3.25k representing more than a 300% increase. In October, 1994, the petrol price was again hiked from N3.25k to N11.00 per litre.
There is no gain saying the fact that during these periods the world had seemed turned up side down for the poor masses, with the untold economic hardships that then dawned on them. But little did they know that the worse days were still ahead!
And so, on December, 21st 1998, the price of petrol rose from the N11.00 per litre to N25.00 per litre. At this period, the whole sector of the country was brought to stagnation. However, after a widespread strike action by the NLC, the pump price was brought down to N20.00 on 6th January, 1999. In the year 2000, the price was revisited and raised to N25.00 per litre, after the NLC had embarked on their usual corrective industrial action which really threatened to bring the whole of the country's economic, social, educational and political activities to a halt.
In the year 2001 to 2003 however, the price of petrol was hiked from N20.00 to N40.00 per litre respectively. Then I asked, “Who knows at what price it will be introduced as next?” Today we are faced with another incessant increase from N42.00 to N54-56 for petrol and every other of the petroleum products, even the commonly home used kerosene is now about N 70.00 per litre though the NLC has performed we are yet to have the response or face another one soon. We are still looking forth to another boom in the pump price of our petroleum products. Indeed, flung into this economic quagmire, ours remains an unceasing lamentation over our country as we persistently ask, “Oh Nigeria, do you still prefer living in the dark world of deception? Any light in your tunnel? And why are your leaders bent on procuring unending worries and hardships for your citizenry?” Indeed, we live in a shameful and unjust country.
Nevertheless, can we the citizens have any faults? Yes, Nigerian citizens could be blamed worthy for the on going hiking of oil prices in the name of deregulation. A clear reference to buttress, this could be the attitude of many of these people at the 1999 and 2003 P.D.P Presidential primaries. Where our country men and women sold off their rights to vote at the dismissive rate for the selfish pursuit of that which now has led us to the untold and unforeseen dilemmas we are accruing from the oil price hike.
No doubt, the greedy and selfish citizens of this country must have learnt their lessons by now. Let us believe that what happened in 1999 and 2003 respectively was a mistake. And so, with the nasty experiences we have had so far, the Nigerian population ought to become conscious about such mistakes and carelessness in the future. On the other hand, if the self-aggrandizement and self delusion tendencies could be rooted out of the lives of our politicians today, no doubt our dreams for the advent of the Joshua who shall lead us into the Promised Land will be actualized.
Finally, Prince Philip affirmed that, “The door is never shut to those determined to succeed. And that the greatest results in life are usually attained by simple means and exercise of ordinary qualities.” Hence, the panacea to our present harrowing condition of the oil price saga could be a sustained effort to make principles of justice and altruism our way of life.
Besides this, we should be enhanced through our determination to make proper choices of good leaders in our subsequent elections, avoiding the act of electing to offices of those who use money to buy over our consciences. This is not for our own good but to our subsequent determent.
Let us be careful and as well be warned!
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