The fuel subsidy debate of the deaf, by Owei Lakemfa
Fuel subsidy is the main debate in the country today. This is over three years after President Bola Tinunu’s declaration that “subsidy is gone” It was the main debate in the country twenty six years ago leading to President Olusegun Obasanjo’s estalishment of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA. The basic arguement of Labour, […]
Seeking unity for a united people
WEST Africans were more united in pre-colonial times than under the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which turned forty years yesterday, Thursday, May 28, 2015. There was generally, free movement of persons in the region before the colonialists, mainly French and British, imposed artificial boundaries even amongst the same ethnic group and introduced custom duties which have since then restricted movement and prevented integration.
Handover 2015: Change and change agents
By Owei Lakemfa PROLOGUE Change is natural and normal. Life is not static; like the sea, it is in a continuous, sometimes, turbulent flow. Since change is inevitable, it can be amazing that there are people who fear it. Whatever the case, it is futile to stop an idea whose time has come. Human beings, […]
Nigeria on the highway
NIGERIA is on the highway. This Friday, May 29, 2015, as we approach a major T- Junction, we shall stop to change drivers. Brother Goodluck Jonathan, who has driven us since February 10, 2010, will handover the steering to Comrade Muhammadu Buhari. As Buhari takes us to the T-Junction, we would either turn right, and start doing things right, or left, and continue on the familiar road of dependency, consumerism, ruinous market forces, prodigal privatisation, fuel importation rather than refining, and neo-liberal policies that take, rather than create jobs. Then, it will be business as usual.
Wounded lion on the rampage
THERE is a wounded lion on the rampage in Africa. Before the attack on him, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi and his pride had killed at least fourteen people, injured over two hundred and sent tens of thousands scampering into exile especially on the shores of Lake Tangayika and into Rwanda.
Sapped of power and energy
A FORTNIGHT ago, I was in Lagos and with my travelling companions, we were heading for Ibadan. We were low on fuel, but the fuel stations were mini theatres of war. As we passed them, we could see low intensive combats going on. There was of course the option of the black market. But it was selling for N210 per litre in comparison with the official N87. The other problem is that at this parallel market, you could be sold adulterated fuel. We concluded that Ibadan was a saner place to buy fuel.
