WHY did NBA not protest the recent  burning of churches and slaughtering of Christians in Damaturu, Madalla and Jos just to mention a few?

Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida, former Military President of Nigeria was quoted recently as saying that the present crisis in our country is caused by President Jonathan’s inexperience; that they (meaning  the Northern Mafia) had warned that he should not be chosen to lead Nigeria.

In response to this, one can ask, what was Babangida’s level of experience in 1990 when he seized power from the duo of Muhammadu Buhari and Tunde Idiagbon both of whom had brought him to limelight by making him the Chief of Army Staff?

Did his acquired “experience” purportedly garnered in four or five years as Military Head of State of Nigeria make him to hand over power to a democratically elected Government when he should?

It did not; instead, he wanted to transit from a military Head of State to a civilian Head of State, hence he annulled the first ever transparently organized election in this country!  Now can pot call kettle black?

This  piece is a wake-up call to every sane Nigerian whether from the North or South ,whether Christian or Muslim.  Let him/her kick against this current onslaught against President Goodluck Jonathan.  Mr. President does not deserve such opprobrium.

Let us give him and his Economic team of committed, professionally sound Nigerians an opportunity to swim or sink, to transform Nigeria or transgress it, to make or mar this country.

But I know deep down in me that Nigeria will change for the better if only these hirelings can leave Jonathan and Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala alone and stop distracting them.

I argue this way because Mr. President is the listening type; he does not feel he knows it all; he is receptive to suggestions.

Secondly, the Co-ordinating Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is a time-tested, internationally-renowned and patriotic Nigerian who is daily working to change the fortunes of Nigeria, tapping from her age-old experience from Harvard University, World Bank, etc.  She is neither ostentatious nor materialistic.

Listening to her on Radio Nigeria last Saturday, one could not but praise her intellectualism, her patriotism and commitment to transforming the country.  Hear her: “we will use the fund which would have otherwise been ploughed into subsidizing petrol to provide infrastructure – Mass transit vehicles to ease movement of persons and goods, thereby cushioning the effect of the withdrawal of subsidy.

These vehicles will be driven by different people. This means that  employment will be created in the process.Again , these Government-owned vehicles will charge fares lower than the  privately –owned ones ,thereby creating the needed competition which is imperative for social growth, efficiency and development .

In addition, she pointed out that the present predicament of Greece was caused by excessive borrowing.  Nigeria should not continue to sustain petrol subsidy because our debt is rising by the day, and we should not bequeath debt to our children and grand children.  No wise person or country borrows money for consumption purposes; it is for  production that one should borrow .  It is better to suffer temporarily now so our children can enjoy tomorrow.

Besides, human nature favours private enterprise.  Subsidies breed laziness and lethargy.  When telephony was not de-regulated, only few Nigerians had telephone lines which did not actually function effectively.  Since the de-regulation of the Telecommunications industry, everyone now has access to the telephone.

Rather than sleep at the defunct Nigeria External Telecommunications (NET) Building , people now make even international calls in the privacy of their homes and offices in the remotest parts of this country.

As for the timing of the withdrawal of the Petroleum Subsidyit is on record that the doyen of De-regulation in Nigeria ,Gen.  Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida(Rtd.)  began the implementation of this policy in January.  If President Jonathan does not stop subsidizing the cost of Petrol in January 2012, when will he start it?

Have we forgotten the concept of the Baptism of Fire?  It is better to withdraw this subsidy at this time when people will suffer the worst degree of inconvenience which will accrue from such action.  This way, they will really appreciate the relief which will later be their lot in the long run when they will have recovered from the usual January – February predicament.

Mr. MICHAEL IKECHUKWU, a public  affairs  commentator, wrote from Awka, Anambra state.