Ms. Baleka Mbete, Speaker, South Africa’s National Assembly, once asserted that, “Parliaments can implement democracy by always putting the people at the centre of what it does. We have to listen to our people, we have to give our people an opportunity to have a say in the work that we do… Only in that way will democracy be truly democratic. When I say people, I mean men, women, children, every citizen who has the right to access the work of parliament, because it is addressing the conditions of our people.”
The emergency sitting conveyed by Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Sunday 8, 2012, again opened another genre of discourse on the relevance of parliamentarians in shaping democratic institutions and processes in an emerging country like Nigeria. The emergency sitting also exposed the emancipation of the Nigerian parliament from the strong grips of the Executive Arm, contrary to the bitter experience in the reigns of President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Femi Gajabiamila, Eziuche Ubani, Uzo Azubike, Ali Madaki, Tajudeen Yusuf, Yakubu Dogara, Pally Iriase, Evelyn Arinze, etc, appear to be the champions of the masses as they vehemently rejected the removal of subsidy.
Conversely, Seriake Dickson, Warman Ogorma, Nadu Karibo, Mulikat Akande-Adeola, Yakubu Barde, Arua Arunsi, Sokonte Davis, Ndudi Elumelu, Andrew Uchendu, Ini Udoka, Asita Honourable, and Ibrahim Idris, Ibrahim Sanyi-Sanyi, supported the removal of the subsidy, citing graphical instances of the dangers the non-removal poses to the Nigerian economy.
The lead sponsors of the motions noted that, while deregulation as a policy may not be altogether bad, the alternative to proper procedure and good timing of such policy is not only equally important, but imperative especially in a democratic dispensation.
Hon. Yakubu Dogara, set the tune for the debate when he queried the rationale behind World Bank’s call for fuel subsidy removal in Nigeria, but allows subsidies in agriculture and other sectors in developed countries like the United States, Italy, Spain, etc. He insisted that petroleum is one of the products that must be subsidised by the federal government. “The voice of the people is the voice of God and democracy by its definition is the government of the people, by the people and for the people,” Yakubu said.
Hon. Evelyn Arinze? sought to know where in President Jonathan’s campaign manifesto, he promised to remove fuel subsidy when he was campaigning. “I didn’t find it anywhere in Mr President’s manifesto where he said he would withdraw fuel subsidy. Why would the President inflict such pains on the Nigerian people?” she queried.
Hon. Pally Iriase in his submission said that Abuja has no in-depth knowledge with regards to what’s going on at the grassroots, warning that, “We are sitting near a keg of gunpowder and playing with fire.” He insisted that funds meant for security votes are incomparable with funds for subsidy.
Hon. Ndidi Elumelu, a champion of subsidy removal said, “Cabals in the power sector gave us bad names. Today, we still have some of those cabals who are eating this country dry. Yes, to subsidy removal. It is better we suffer now and have money to build infrastructures for our children.”
Other champions of subsidy removal, who spoke in the same tone, insisted that Nigerians must cope with the difficulties of the moment as its future dividends supersede the pains of today.
Nonetheless, some concerned citizens have continued to express divergent views on the stance taken by members of the House of Representatives and hailed the motion as people-oriented.
Afam Chukwunwike, a journalist based in Benue State said: “When a Nigerian pays N65 for imported fuel rather than locally refined fuel, he is subsidising the incompetence of government • When a Nigerian has to buy a generator and buy petrol and diesel because electricity generation is worse off; he is subsidising the incompetence in government. When a Nigerian has to drill a borehole, buy pure water or bottled water, rather than get public potable tap water, he is subsidising the inefficiency of government. When a Nigerian has to maintain three phone-lines or three different internet subscriptions just because of call-quality or crippled bandwidth, he is subsidising the failures of government regulation. When a Nigerian has to pay heavily to secure his life and property through personnel and gadgets, he is subsidising the failure of government to protect him constitutionally. For Bad roads, we subsidise by having to visit the mechanic more often than usual or sometimes with our lives. We can go and on about the educational system, health sector, the environment, Maritime, etc. It’s time for us to remove our own subsidy by making the government do what they are supposed to do.
Government is not doing us a favour when they do the work of governance…it’s what they are supposed to do.
That is what the mass protests and strikes are about. If the presidency is not ready to rescind on its decision to reverse the price of petroleum products to N65 per litre by heeding the advice of the House of Representatives members, then Nigerians through mass protests will force them to reconsider their stance.”
Professor Asomwan Sonnie Adagbonyin, a senior lecturer in the Department of English, Ambrose Alli University said: “Jonathan accuses National Assembly members of inciting Nigerians. The rudder is gone and the ship sways dangerously, ready to sink. I weep for Reuben Abati, Oronto Douglas and all the turncoat ‘comrades’ and ‘activists’! It grieves my heart that a first class material like Abati would sign a death sentence on Nigerians passed to him by his master…fellow Nigerians, the battle line is drawn! President Jonathan has vowed not to reverse the decision on fuel subsidy. A maniacal dictator is on the loose! Protesters are being shot and killed in Lagos. Arise, all Nigerians; we have no other country. The time to fight is now!”
One of the many individual Nigerians and groups who are in support of the fuel subsidy removal, the Good People of Nigeria Group which held a pro-subsidy removal rally in Warri, Delta State yesterday, called on the antagonists of the subsidy removal and pleaded with them to support President Jonathan as he sets out to transform the country.
Speaking on behalf of the group, one-time Delta State House of Assembly aspirant on the platform of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Comrade Michael Tidi said: “The removal of fuel subsidy is the beginning of the transformational policy of the government; we should say no to corruption. The President has shown that he means well for the country, despite the initial pains, the gains will be unquantifiable.
“We should not allow the pains we will bear to make us loose a good opportunity to do things well. The cabal benefiting from the subsidy are the ones killing us, they are responsible for any pains we will go through for now. We call on Nigerians to support the President. We should save our economy from collapse and say no to the cabal.”
The decision of the House of Representatives to take a stance on subsidy removal might have pitched it against the presidency. However, they have succeeded in redefining the true essence of representation by taking sides with the Nigerian people.