It’s laughable how 1600 diesel buses would solve the transportation problem of 36 states and cater for some over 150 million Nigerians. Which roads would these buses ply? Same roads the cabal took money and refused to build and donated some back to the ruling party. Or is it the case that the buses will provide more chop for the cabal that supplied them.
For me, the problem with Nigeria is not fuel subsidy; it is corruption from top to bottom, confused leadership and a docile followership. A cabal, like all things bad in Nigeria, has no return address.
Having read the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Program (SURE) booklet, I can’t help but laugh more at the Nigerian and our ways. I can recite the 20 pages off heart, the first page is a picture of Jonathan, the second, Namadi (I am sorry that Ngozi did not make it), two other pages detailing how they would share some billions amongst governors and LGA chairmen, the last page is that of the map of Nigeria. Leaving us with 14 pages of how a yet to be available and fraudulent over 1 trillion would be spent on the existing cabal or a new cabal.
Explaining the SURE document, the president stated that, “A robust programme structure has been developed to ensure adequate oversight, accountability and implementation of the various projects”. I will pick just one project area, Component ‘D’, the rail transport projects. Interestingly, in the last month of last year, China launched a super-rapid test train, which is capable of travelling 500 kilometres per hour; this was despite serious problems on its high-speed network. In February 2011, the railways minister, Liu Zhijun, a key figure behind the boom in the sector, was dismissed over corruption charges that have not yet been tried in court.
How soon do we forget, Abacha brought the Chinese, millions went, Obasanjo brought the same Chinese, billions disappeared, death did not give Yar’adua time, and again Jonathan is talking Chinese. The fact is that like a former Attorney General and Justice Minister said, the best we have done is to rehabilitate a Royal Niger Company Railway that should be in the museum with billions of dollars and nothing or very little to show.
No one is being punished, even though this crime was committed by members of the ‘inner caucus’ during Obansanjo, Yar’adua ‘kitchen cabinet’, yet the government say they are faced with a cabal.
Government says the subsidy administration is beset with ineffiencies, leakages and corruption. Tell me what is not beset with those three terms today, from health to education, security to agriculture. Previous governments have given the same rationale for discontinuing subsidies, and yet no solution in sight.
This government is promising 3,877km of railroad, 1,326km of roads and bridges, some incomprehensible safety net programmes that make no sense to the woman that sells bean-ball or the local tyre repair man. Monies that will again go to some new cabal or the existing ones, just like all the power projects money that disappeared.
President Jonathan ride on, and you cannot deal with the cabal with your all-knowing lieutenants. I can only but ask Nigerians to help themselves, lift a finger, beg the cabal or occupy peacefully for change.
Prince Charles Dickson is Editor, burningpot.com
