There can be no end in the foreseeable future to a do-or-die fight to be President of our nation. The unbridled struggle for the position of top dog is seemingly motivated by the prospect of exercising almost absolute power over our lives and our nation’s resources, particularly the oil proceeds from the Niger Delta. Indeed, if income derived from oil is removed from the federal purse, the federation may have to survive on less than 30% of annual budgets. Furthermore, the underbelly of the arbitrarily created 36 states and 774 local governments would also be exposed, as most of them would literarily collapse without, what some people have described as ‘blood money’ from the Niger Delta.

“Poverty will clearly deepen nationwide and severe level of unemployment will persist with serious social consequences, if the preferred strategy for rescuing our economy implies further Naira devaluation and outright deregulation of fuel price, as recommended by the IMF and other likeminded experts. (see “Devalue Naira, Remove Subsidy and Kill Nigerians” Rational perspectives: 02/11/2015 www.lesleba.com).

The Honorable Minister for Petroleum Resources, Mr Ibe Kachikwu, recently, announced a new petrol price of N145/litre; the NNPC GMD, was however, clearly cautious to avoid a definite declaration that the petroleum downstream sector has now become fully deregulated with the almost 60% increase in petrol price; nonetheless, this seeming dictatorship of a price cap, is clearly inconsistent with a deregulated market.

Industry, Commerce, as well as employment opportunities, unexpectedly, flourished for the greater part of Abacha’s four year reign, despite Nigeria’s pariah status and the stupendous treasury rape by the dictator. The question, therefore, is how Abacha’s Economic team sustained the erstwhile elusive enabling environment, despite the dysfunctional economy that was inherited. Fortunately, Chief Anthony Ani, an insider in that team, answered this question, in his keynote address, at ICAN’s injuction ceremony on May, 112016.

In the wake of deregulation of petrol prices under Obasanjo in 2004, and the unfolding anxiety of Labour and the Nigerian public on the adverse impact of rising fuel prices, this column published two articles titled “The Mother and Father of Fuel Prices”(22.11.2004) and “Only a Stronger Naira Will Stop Rising Fuel Prices”(22.08.2005) The solution proposed in both articles remain solidly valid today as it was over 12 years ago; for this reason, a summary of both articles is again presented in the hope that the authorities will one day heed our counsel and resolve our dilemma.