Going deep into the threshold of the average home in Nigeria, and how they have continued to trudge along amidst the various challenges and difficulties ascribed to the common man cannot be overemphasized, from the trouble of putting food on the table to getting basic health, and the challenge of having proper education if, at all the number of out of school, children are to go by. Somehow all these are affected by one essential commodity, the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit, (PMS). Something we never experience until the civil war, under the General Gowon administration, the first recorded fuel scarcity that had taken place.
Nigerians’ various challenges are like a tray of food, you pick yours and face your Goliath, however much more than these challenges is the daunting trouble that faces us all, it is the trouble of getting the premium motor spirit, otherwise known as fuel. While the problems are in their series, the first was the removal of subsidies, another time, it is oil theft, some other times, it will be due to strike actions by marketers, and the usual prospect of the devaluation of the naira. And these troubles affect the poor citizens of Nigeria who are hopeless in the selection process, of a system they hope would work
Let us take a journey into the problems of fuel scarcity in Nigeria, the Whys’ When’ and the Hows’ maybe these should tell us where we are headed in the closest of times.
Our country is largely on a mono-pedal, of sustenance, we run majorly on the proceeds of crude. But this crude is not even enough for the home, a country that has, and ship out to the foreign country for refining. Hence the Genesis of our troubles. But don’t fret too long, this scarcity tale is as old as a man in the history of our country, and there have been various reasons from time to time.
As far back as 1973, when the fuel subsidy was introduced, it was seen as a welcome development to a country of this magnitude and a way to make sure it is readily available to all homes irrespective of status, especially considering the price hike of the early 1970s, which was the Why, of its introduction. The last estimate of our subsidy price is quoted to be around 3.9 billion dollars as per the International Centre for Tax and Development ICTD. yet the subsidy was never our solution to stop the waters of trouble we are in.
In 2012 under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, thousands of us who couldn’t bear the brunt stormed a nationwide protest notably at the #occupynigeria, the administration’s reason was that it needs these funds for another aspect of the nation’s development. A poor new year gift for many Nigerians, considering the time of its implementation. Moreover, it was a hardship walking hand in hand with over 80% of Nigerians. This ultimately proved too costly a mistake to the Jonathan administration, ushering 2015 said savior of Nigerian, President Muhammadu Buhari. It’s now a quarter to go, and the many hikes have refused to let us be.
Today, we are faced with the worst fuel scarcity in the country’s history, with no permanent solution in sight, various proclamations have been reported by the minister of state for petroleum, Ine kachikwu, and the NNPC chief, Maikanti Baru, without forgetting the Minister of Petroleum, himself, President Muhammad Buhari, which was a sign at the beginning that our woes would end, but the reverse is the case. Two months ago, the scarcity had hit home, with some depots and marketers selling for as high as #250 per liter, except for some places in Abuja which sell for #180 and #175 respectively, according to various reports. And this has continued to wreak havoc in the average Nigerian home, like Bob Marley, it is a natural mystic going in the air.
Now, where are we headed with this trouble of fuel scarcity, the projections by various economists, and the bureau of statistics had predicted a troubled economy that hinges on a possible recession, we know the causes but are we ready to act on them for a better economy? There may be some lights ahead, due to the promise by the president that the Warri refinery would start operation in the first quarter of 2023, plus the possible completion of the Dangote refinery these will help in the reduction of the cost of processing crude away from home.
We should also hope that the value of the naira is stable or even gaining some ground against the dollar, these as well affect the price ranges, if the landing price of a liter is #350 without subsidy you can imagine what price a liter would be.
Secondly, we can only suffer to enjoy in the large sense, this means the fuel subsidy would be removed, and be replaced by general legislation indicating a universal pump price, in as much as the enabling environment is created. But this idea hangs on the level of the Nigeria naira status.
Payment of staff is also to be made promptly, to avoid strike actions by the marketers association as well, without forgetting the provision of security to all these people.
Without being the best economist or strategist the procedures aren’t the problem but the implantation process may be the issue, but as Nigerians, we believe in the power of hope and this is the only thing that is left of a man when all others are gone. There is light at the end of our PMS crisis, but only if the necessary routes are followed.
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