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JOE EFFIONG, UYO
The federal government has been told to explain in concrete terms the benefits Nigerians are going to derive from the removal of petroleum subsidy and when such benefits would start having effects.
The Akwa Ibom State commissioner for transport, Mr Orman Esin who said this while speaking with Daily Sun in Uyo on Monday, reasoned that while he supports the subsidy removal with its attendant pains on the populace, the pains should be temporary and precede gains in the nearest future so that the provision of palliatives becomes a very short term agenda.
“The question we should ask is: “What is government’s promise to Nigerians concerning subsidy removal and what time line consideration are we looking at. If this does not come out as expected, then palliatives has to go on forever So how long are we going to give palliatives; distribute rice; and how many people will we give this to.?
“The (federal) government is assuring Nigerians that removal of subsidy, yes, would bring some pains. But within a period of time, what are the plans announced in this diversification, that if after a while, when now we stabilize in the issue of removal of subsidy, this is the succor it will now bring to the Nigerian people.
“Are we saying that by next year the prices of petroleum products will reduce and what are the machineries put in place for the that to happen?”
Mr Esin said he was not carried away by the palliative regime because it is not sustainable.
“If we say that in the next eight or nine months, the positive effects of the subsidy removal would be felt, then that is better. But if we say that we are removing it then palliatives is what we will be doing, I have a problem with that.
“Let everybody ask questions and let the federal government give us answers to those questions. What are your midterm positive plans on subsidy removal so that while I am holding my stomach, there is hope for such a time to enjoy the benefit?”
The commissioner appealed to the press to probe the federal government for a time line for the positive effects of the subsidy to begin to take effect, if the exercise was not merely meant to distribute palliatives; stressing that the money that was put in the palliatives would not take Nigeria anywhere.
He explained that the frenzy to convert vehicles to compressed natural gas is a misplaced priority as there has been no announced plan in place either from government or the organized private sector to build gas plants.
“The fundamental of CNG vehicles is CNG plant. When you convert now where are you going to get the gas. We don’t even have one plant in Akwa Ibom, CNG buses are not plug and play. You need to build the plant; you need to generate the gas and distribute it to filling stations before you think of getting to the process of converting vehicles to CNG. Nobody is talking about that,
“But we can consider electric vehicles. Electric vehicle is plug and play because at least power is available either by public power supply or by generator, even though we have yet not tested to see its workability in our environment.” Esin said.
He hinted that plans are underway to henceforth subject drivers violating traffic regulations in Akwa Ibom State to drug test before they face trial.
The commissioner also said members of the state task force engaging in unruly activities have not only been sacked by prosecuted even as those to be retained would equally be subjected to security scrutiny and drug test before they would be further engaged by the state ministry of transport.
