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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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Henry Ekwuruke
Henry Ekwuruke is Executive Director of the Development Generation Africa International.
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