Press Statement on Fuel Subsidy_UAD

[Yushau Sani Yankuzo]

PRESS STATEMENT

ISSUED BY THE UNITED ACTION FOR DEMOCRACY:

16/12/11.

               BUDGET 2012: A BUDGET OF DESTRUCTION & REPRESSION!

Following the recent presentation by President Goodluck Jonathan to the National Assembly of the Budget proposal/appropriation bill for 2012, the United Action for Democracy (UAD) finds it pertinent to restate the fact that the present Government is hell-bent on increasing the sufferings of Nigerians!

The Budget, obviously put together to further confound Nigerians into thinking that there is no alternative to the government’s decision to impose the IMF and World Bank dictated policy of neo-liberalism, has revealed very clearly the priorities of the government in terms of a focus on social development or on the annihilation of Nigerians.

A pointer in the direction of the regime’s determination to further impoverish Nigerians is the amount allocated to what constitutes the priorities of majority of Nigerians (such as education – 400Bn Naira, health – 283Bn Naira, employment, food, shelter etc.) vis – a – vis what constitutes the priorities of the inept and corrupt ruling class (security, over bloated overheads, etc). For example the amount proposed for security at over 900Bn Naira is more than the combined total proposed for 12 critical ministries including education, health, agriculture, power, roads and transportation, petroleum resources among others!

The UAD is not deceived that the President was silent on the so-called ‘fuel subsidy’ removal in his presentation, in fact he was loud enough since there was no mention of any provision for subsidy in the 2012 Budget unlike in previous budgets. The unavoidable implication of this is that the prices of petroleum products will go up beginning from January 2012!   

The UAD also finds it interesting that what is to be spent on security (insecurity?), which is 922 billion naira and about 500 billion naira allocated to service domestic debts which comes a total of about 1.4 trillion naira is the exact sum which the cabal and cartel in power claim to be the amount they have been spending in ‘subsiding’ prices of fuel, and which they so desperately want to take back from Nigerians. It is important to be unambiguous about this issue; the regime has not said, and there is no indication from this budget proposal, that it will stop importation of refined products, which is the reason why this so-called subsidy builds up! In fact the regime is simply stating that it wants this amount of money, which is the penalty for its incompetence and ineptitude in ensuring domestic refining of crude oil, to be paid for by ordinary Nigerians at the point of buying the products, rather than be paid for out of resources of the Federal Government. The import contracts will not be cancelled, importation will not be stopped, and the cabal will continue to paid these sums for importing fuel!

While acknowledging the existing security challenges, the UAD makes bold to say that resolving security problems is not about buying missiles, guns, ammunitions, expanding the security forces etc, it is about resolving the social issues that are the remote reasons behind our security challenges. Thus it defiles logic to spend so much money on symptoms like the state imposed ‘insecurity’ than putting money into what will reduce the suffering of Nigerians like job/employment creation, infrastructure development, boosting manufacturing, agriculture, and at least retaining the existing prices of fuel (which are exorbitant when compared to prices fuel in other oil producing country)!

The UAD makes bold to say that the state is also actually spending so much on security to oil its machinery preparatory to repressing and cracking down heavily on the resistance which they know would follow the imposition of their numerous very unpopular and inhuman policies.

Moreover, the allocation to security, given the character of the Nigerian state is obviously to subsidize corruption through the usual method of awarding juicy contracts to the cartel and cabal responsible for present excruciating condition of existence of Nigerians.

The UAD insists that the working and toiling people can no longer continue to bear the brunt of corruption, maladministration, ineptitude and embezzlement which has been the modus operandi of the Nigerian ruling class.

Nigerians must take their destiny in to their own hands; and redirect their energies towards the path of ameliorating their lives rather than toward the path of perdition which government is consciously leading them to. We must reclaim our country!

We must mobilise and organise in our workplaces, neighbourhoods, worship grounds, villages, cities, places of learning/campuses and communities to collectively put an end to our sufferings. Nigeria is OUR country; let us OCCUPY it, in the mode of people’s conscious and self-organised activities (rallies, demonstrations, strikes, picketing etc) in defiance of the diabolic and inhuman intention of the present status quo. Let us Occupy it to remake our nation. OCCUPY NIGERIA NOW!

Signed:

 

Olawale Salami

National Publicity Secretary,

United Action for Democracy (UAD)

 

Yusha'u Sani Yankuzo

Zonal Organizing Secretary

United Action for Democracy (North-West Zone)

Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Secretariat

by Bukavu Army Barracks, Katsina Road, Kano

Kano State - Nigeria

www.yankuzo2000.blogspot.com

Tel: +234 (0) 8033477704, (0) 8055558250

[Karl Elvis NSUMBU MBA]

Hello dears.
I'm so glad to read you. Excuse to bother you, i'd like to present my
opportunity: www.ceyron.net

Best regards

2011/12/17, Yushau Sani Yankuzo <yanku...@yahoo.com>:

--
Bien cordialement,
Karl Elvis NSUMBU MBA,
Président du Forum des Jeunes du Gabon(FOJEGA),
Représentant du Parlement Africain de la Société Civile au Gabon
Représentant Wor(i)d-Gabon et Ceyron au Gabon
Tél: 00241 07452120
E-mail: karlens...@ceyron.net
www.ceyron.net
www.parlementafricain.com
http://fojega.blogspot.com
www.fojega.org.uk.tc
www.ypdanetwork.sitew.com
"Je préfère gagner 1% du chiffre d'affaire de 100 personnes que 100%
de mon propre chiffre d'affaire" Jean Paul Getty