Following the removal of the subsidy placed on petrol by the Federal Government on Wednesday, May 11, many Nigerians have taken a bitter trip down memory lane to January 2012 when the Goodluck Jonathan administration announced the removal of subsidy.
Millions of Nigerians had trooped to the street to protest against removal using the tag #OccupyNaija in 2012 and successfully got the government to reverse its decision.
Now however, the current government of Muhammadu Buhari has completely removed subsidy from petrol leaving the marketing and sales of product to anyone of Nigerian entity upon meeting quality control standards.
Going done memory lane, Nigerians have been asking what the purpose of the #OccupyNaija protests seeing that the removal of subsidy in 2012 was a good policy from the government.
In the face of the slew of attacks and reprimands of the front runners of the #OccupyNaija protest in 2012, former minister of education and human rights activist, Oby Ezekwesili explains why the 2012 protest was more than just the removal of fuel subsidy.
Interacting with Twitter users who grilled her for her involvement in the 2012 policy, Oby Ezekwesili explained why the protest was beyond the removal of subsidy.
If #PolicyChange is a holistic deregulation of Petroleum sector & privatization of FG's 4 refineries, that would be positive move to market.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
Not sure that was the problem. I am a proponent of Market efficiencies but did not agree with the 2012 move. Why? /1 https://t.co/UttSlCT9iH
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
Removing Subsidy in 2012 within the CONTEXT of the GRAND CORRUPTION in the Sector @ that time was a NO NO for me./2 https://t.co/UttSlCT9iH
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
The real hypocrisy is, despite all FACTS in public domain that then Petroleum Sector was a CESSPOOL, you wrote this. https://t.co/L4JdJAainS
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
Redistribution of income that it is, @least the poor did not have to give more of their own money to a PILLAGING FG. https://t.co/R3T4m2k8od
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
It protected citizens from DIRECTLY helping increase scale of resources available for SQUANDER in the THEN sector. https://t.co/kBZfTPj1Sx
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
Surprised that you who saw nothing wrong in the SQUANDERING of public funds talks of Nigeria's corruption ranking.Ha https://t.co/mwpVJv0lUD
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
I see your conscience has moved again. I thought it was that the price did not increase at the time you wanted it! https://t.co/1eqHdn1EiT
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
Asking the citizens to hand them more money would have robbed citizens directly. Then FG already had much to pillage https://t.co/LpuPEE60qi
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
Of course, it would sound so to you. DIRECTLY taking more from citizens into FG coffers that was LEAKING was a No No https://t.co/kq1gTSP26I
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
remind me again where the additional revenue generated from the increase went? Remind me what it fetched? Sleep well https://t.co/gTy0LgH9A9
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
No meeting point as far as you refuse to admit the public resources SQUANDERING CONTEXT within which 2012 "subsidy removal" was proposed.
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
With a modicum of responsible public finance management (especially oil revenue), a holistic Deregulation by this FG should be positive.YES
— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) May 11, 2016
What do you think?
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