– Lawmakers Urge Halt to Fuel Subsidy Removal
Nigerians, who started marking time on whether President Goodluck Jonathan would live up to his Saturday night live promise to cut down on foreign trips
and the usual large entourage, may now have cause to believe the government as President Jonathan canceled his planned trip to South Africa to attend a ceremony organized by the African National Congress (ANC). This was made known by Presidential spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati who expressed disappointment on rumor that President Jonathan left the country with two presidential Jet to South Africa. He said that the President was in Nigeria, attending to matters of state. President Jonathan attended the Armed Forces Remembrance Service at the National Christian Centre at 1 p.m, on Sunday, January 8. Subsequently, he was at the Eagle Square, Abuja, to commission a national mass transit programme, as promised in his national broadcast on Saturday, January 7.
And from the hallowed chamber of the House of Representatives to the main street, Nigerians have started pooh-poohing the contradictions in the hyperbolic justifications and empty promises of President Jonathan on fuel subsidy removal, leaving an unprecedented carbon footprint and aviation fuel costs in the number of jets and delegations with whom he travels. In spite of the president’s promises, the herd has not stopped.
An irate congress whose members and leadership allegedly were alerted before the subsidy removal decision went public had an emergency session on Sunday, setting a historic precedent where speaker after speaker showed that they were poised over the issue of subsidy removal. But the polarization over the issue and the reluctance of lawmakers from the south-south geo-political zone of Nigeria was obvious, as the demon of ethnic loyalties came to fore in an issue that majority of Nigerians, home and abroad, totally condemn.
Some lawmakers wonder why the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) would not recommend an end to the agricultural subsidies for countries like the United States. Some also suggested that the figure of N1.3trl which the Nigerian National Petroleum (NNPC) said was spent on subsidy did not tally with the National Assembly figure of N200bn.
A dramatic moment of the debate came when Honorable Khadeja of Yobe State, rose to speak, saying “We are the voice of the voiceless, and as such we should note that the Nigerian people have suffered untold hardship lately; they need no extra burden. Let us exercise our conscience and fear God. And finally, I say the Removal should be suspended immediately”
Ms. Khadeja’s comments prompted a loud round of applause.
At times rancorous, Sunday’s session in the National Assembly was lively as individual lawmakers made their case before Nigerians on live television from Abuja.
Those who wanted the motion reflecting the subsidy removal were defeated. An overwhelming majority of lawmakers present at Sunday’s session of the House of Representatives voted for a return to the status-quo ante of N65 per liter.
Also, at a time when influential religious leaders across the board have refused to take a strong position on the issue, a Lagos-based leader of Daystar Christian Center spoke up on Sunday, asking why the government rushed to remove the fuel subsidy. “Why the rush?”, asked Pastor Sam Adeyemi.
Also, the former president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Mike Okonkwo, told journalists in Lagos that he rejected the fuel subsidy removal decision in its totality.
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House of Representative Special Session January 8,2012
1. Removal of Fuel Subsidy by the Executive Arm of Government: |
Hon. Yusuf Tajudeen
Hon. Debo Ologunagba
Hon. Davematics D. E. Ombugadu
Hon. AJibola Famurewa
Hon. Goni Bukar Lawan
Hon. Komolafe Abiodun
Hon. Ken Chikeve
Hon. Bashir Adamu
Hon. Ozomgbachi Ogbuefi
Hon. Bello Binta Maigari
Hon. Madaki Aliyu Sani
Hon. Ogene Victor Afamefuna
Hon. Onawo Mohammed Ogoshi
Hon. Azubuike Uzo
Hon. Sadiq Asema Mohammed
Hon. Femi Faleke
Hon. Jones Onyereri
Hon. Asuquo Daniel Effiong
Hon. Emmanuel Jime
Hon. Christopher Eta
Hon. Aliyu Ahman Pategi
Hon. Haliru Z. Jikantoro
Hon. Aminu Jonathan
Hon, Adekunle Adeyemi
HOli. Godfrey Ali Gaiya
Hon. Mohammed Sani Idris
Hon. Nasiru S. Z. Dawa
Hon, Murtar Betara Aliyu
Hon .. Mohd T. Monguno
Hon. Onyejeocha Nkeiruka
Hon. Manu Haruna
Hon. Irona Alphonsus Gerald
Hon. Abdul Ibrahim Ebbo
Hon. Arua Arunsi
Hon, Isa Hassan Mohammed
Hon. Matthew Omegara
Hon. Fort Dike
Hon. B. Jibril
Hon. Hassan Saleh
Hon. Kenneth Archibong
Hon. Yakubu Dogara
Hon. Ali Ahmad
Hon. Usman Bello Kumo
Hon. Jagaba A. Jagaba
Hon. Herman Hembe
Hon. Mohammed Umaru
Hon. Abdullahi I Garba
Hon. Mudashiru K. Akinlabi
Hon. Bukar kbadija B.
Hon. I Ka’Amuna Khadi
Hon. Jibrin Abdulmumin
Hon. Kigbu Joseph Haruna
Hon. Abegunde Ifedayo S.
Hon. Ogbaga Sylvester
Hon. Ibrahim Aminu Malle
Hon. Sarkin-Adar Musa
Hon. Shagari Aminu Shehu
Hon. Ahmed Idris
Hon. Essien Ayi Ekpenyong
Hon. Uwazuruike Chudi
Hon. Mustapha Moshood:
The House:
Notes that the Executive Arm of Government on 1″ January, 2012 announced the removal of fuel subsidy
resulting in the hiking of the pump price of the Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) from N 65.00 per litre to over
N 140.00 per litre; :
Further notes that while deregulations as a Policy may not be altogether objectionable, the alternative to proper
procedure and good timing of such policy is not only equally important but indeed imperative especially in a
democratic dispensation;
Worried that adequate distinction is not made between the Federal Government’s contribution to the subsidy
and the contribution of States and Local Governments;
Observes that as a result of this distinction, the savings from the subsidy removal by the Executive is less than
N500 Billion whereas the loss that would be occasioned by the impending strike action would be over N500
Billion;
Alarmed that at a time when Nigerians are mourning the loss of loved ones resulting from acts of terrorism and
grappling with serious challenges resulting in the’ extreme measures of the declaration of State of Emergency
in parts of the country, the Executive have chosen to introduce a policy as highly volatile as the removal of fuel subsidy; .
Insists that the country must first exist harmoniously before it can derive benefits of any public policy however
critically beneficial and well intentioned such policy might be;
Further insists that a democratically elected government cannot and must not under any guise abandon dialogue;
Amazed by the various revelations on the administration of fuel subsidy funds by overshooting expenditure in
obvious violation of the Appropriation Act;
Resolves to:
(i) urge the Executive Arm of Government to suspend it’s decision on the removal of fuel subsidy in
appreciation of the mood of the nation and allow more room for consultations;
(ii) further urge the Organized Labour and other Stakeholders to reconsider the intended strike action and
submit to further dialogue on the matter;
(iii) appeal to Nigerians to exercise restraint in expressing their displeasure over the removal of fuel
subsidy in order to allow more room fo~ dialogue and consultation to resolve the situation;
(iv) set-up an Ad-hoc Committee to interface with the Representatives of the Executive and the Organized
Labour with a view to finding a common ground on the matter and to report back to the House within
one week;
(v) further set-up an Ad-hoc Committee to’ verify and determine the actual subsidy requirements and
monitor the subsidy regime;
(vi)be guided by the report of the Ad-hoc Committee on actual subsidy requirements, the House shall
invoke the law- making and appropriation powers of the National Assembly where appropriate, to make
provisions that would serve the interest of the Nigerian people in the 2012 Budget;
(vii)review existing laws and statutes on the subject with a view to involving critical stakeholders in
decisions of this nature.
BILL
2. A Bill for an Act to Authorize the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the total sum
of N4,749,100,821, 170 (Four Trillion, Seven Hundred and Forty-Nine Billion, One Hundred Million, Eight
Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy Naira) Only, of which, N397,929,10l,917
(Three Hundred and Ninety-Seven Billion, Nine Hundred and Twenty-Nine Million, One Hundred and One
Thousand, Nine Hundred and Seventeen Naira) only is for Statutory Transfers, N559,580,000,000 (Five
Hundred and Fifty-Nine Billion, Five Hundred and Eighty Million Naira) only, is for Debt Service,
N2,471,814,067,335 (Two Trillion, Four Hundred and Seventy-One Billion, Eight Hundred and Fourteen
Million, Sixty-Seven Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-Five Naira) only, is for Recurrent (Non-Debt)
Expenditure while the balance ofN1,319,777,651,919 (One Trillion, Three Hundred and Nineteen Billion,
Seven Hundred and Seventy-Seven Million, Six Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand, Nine Hundred and Nineteen
Naira) only, is for Contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the Year Ending on the
31st Day of December, 2012