How sad can it get? How bad can it be? About 2 days to the end of his wasteful administration, this man called Olusegun Obasanjo decided to increase the price of petrol in Nigeria to 75 naira per litre.
Now, can any sane person do that? This man is absolutely foolish and stupid! After spending 8 years in power, and after increasing the price of petrol more than any other stupid person has done in Nigeria, this man found it worthwhile to increase the price just one more time at the eve of his infamous departure.
What does he stand to gain by doing this? Absolutely nothing! His programs and plans after 8 years ended in shambles. What can he gain in 2 days?! Isn’t this horrific? Now, this definitely set a tone for those who have failed to see the devil’s hand in the last charade called “election”. He helped Yar Adua to set the ball rolling! It is as simple as that. Some people need to make some quick money and it is only Baba that can make decisions without consultation. It is only Baba that is wise and no one dares question him.
So, he did it! He gave the last deadly dose of his evil administration. As far as I am concern, there is nothing positive about the government of Obasanjo, not even the so much talked about GSM. This is a technology that is expired. There was a golden opportunity to take us to higher grounds but this man left us in the deep valley.
The devil spoke to him one more time like he had always done in the last 8 years. Who is Obasanjo not to listen to the devil? Only one thing will teach other upcoming tyrants a lesson and that is, let charges of war crime be brought against Obasanjo and let him defend himself against the thousands of people that have died under his lethal stewardship. The ghosts of the Odi people will surely hunt him in Otta if no one takes up this charge against him.
Apart from the crime against Humanity, Obasanjo is one of the most corrupt leader ever seen on the African continent! I hope the books are been prepared already to land him in Jail.
One thing though, there is a momentary respite that this man is leaving. Millions of Nigerians home and abroad are celebrating the departure of another evil one. May 30 is going to be a new dawn in Nigeria. Whatever happens after then will depend on how Nigerians want their future to be shaped-good or bad.
There is time for everything and here is a golden chance for a non-violent positive change. Do I see Orange or Green Revolution?
Heaven help those who help themselves!
A View From The Scandinavian 
Price of gas is determined by global market and as long as we keep importing gas from other countries prices are meant to fluctuate (presently gas goes for $3 a gallon in US from $1.99 few months ago). Obasanjo did not increase fuel price, the war in Iraq, instability in Niger delta and some other pertinent factors are responsible for the increase. One will think most of us that are educated and have access to the global world via net will be objective in our criticisms. The bane of our problem is inability to have functional refineries that will make us regulate the price of gas. I would think any form of criticism should be the government’s inability to give those refineries to people that can make it work. What Nigeria needs is a conducive environment that will allow for healthy competition by private companies in the down stream sector of the oil industry. The idea of government providing “all” we need is a lie the western world keep selling to us to cause instability. Government should mainly be involved in making policies. We need a system whereby politicians don’t have money to steal so that only individuals that want to serve will seek public offices. Let’s us all try to be constructive in our criticism and make sure only responsible folks and not those silly pot bellied old folks we have now get into government after all Obasanjo is a product of the system. We need good people that will make laws geared towards sustaining a steady growth of the economy without forgetting to provide succor for the masses…unlike Obasanjo’s economic policies that had no human face!
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Without any argument on whether Obasanjo increases the price or not or that it is due to market forces, the question is: why is the increase at the eve of his exit? Whatever be the genuine reason or answer, Obasanjo’s regime is evil and anti-progress!
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Check this out. BBC reporting LIVE on The Nigerian Bloggers ‘Proclamation’ post on May 29th.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6701559.stm
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I am suprised that you guys are in Nigeria and do not know that Obasanjo does not have any power when it comes to fuel prices. There are a lot of factors that influence the price and the one major factor, bigger that everyother factors combined, is the militants in Niger Delta. When numerous pipe lines are broken and supply decreases then prices will go up, not just in Nigeria but in the world that’s is just how powerful Nigeria is at the moment.
People say but we are producing petrol but we don’t see it. You all see it, infact you lot are more lucky than the man that lives next to where crude oil is being drilled from. If there’s a man than can complain it is the ordinary man in Niger Delta struggling to feed his family with no light, education and infrastructure.
What we should ask our selves is not what is the problem but what is the solution.
If people begin to find solutions, then that would create opportunity and cash for the person with the idea. How do you bring education? How can you make it better? Can you do better than what a revision centre offers? Can you change Nigeria?
It is all good worrying about the price of petrol, which to be honest is nonsense. What we should concentrate more on is making sure that every kids has the opportunity to change not just the face of their street bit the face of their city. What do you know that you can sell or give freely? That is the mindset that will change this country not complaining.
It is about sitting down and tearing your brain wide open, not literally, and asking yourselves what do ordinary people need.
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Why can’t the increase wait for the NEW illegal government to deal with the issue?
Don’t you see something wrong with the increase 2 days to the end of the evil administration?
Have you ever seen any country in the world where fuel price is increase without any explanation?
Don’t you see that Nigerians are been taken for a ride?
Anyway, you are entitled to your own opinion. Market price or no market price, Obasanjo said there will not be any increase “until 2007″….This means he has influence over the price!!!
And he increased the price at a time when he will not be answerable. You need to understand the corruption in Nigeria and the mentality of the politician to know that the latest increase was unnecessary.
By the way, do you know the impact of this increase on Nigerians of whom over 70% are living below the poverty line? Even the well to do Nigerians are going to adjust their belts in a few days.
This is all about morals and the sufferings of the masses. The increase cannot be justified whether there is war in Niger Delta or in the middle East.
Please always read the Guardian newspapers to understand the scemario of how things work in Nigeria.
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“Have you ever seen any country in the world where fuel price is increase without any explanation?”……yes! United state of America…….SHELL goes for $3.26, CITGO goes for $3.09. Lets get our facts right! I’ll be the last person to support Obasanjo that gave my mum retirement as valentine’s gift but I still think we should be objective enough. He isn’t the cause of increase in fuel. As long as we have people that want to import gas into the country and not make the refinery functional the oil industry won’t succeed. The government subsides, they make their money and the masses still won’t see the benefit of democracy. It’s funny when we isolate people and make them the source of our problem as if they are not a product of our dysfunctional society called Nigeria!
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I have an unpublised piece on “Perfect Elections” which I am hoping the Guardian will publish soon. If they don’t, I will put it on my blog in a few days/weeks. It was in that piece that I have suggested that Nigerians should not let the rigging of the last election to pass simply because of the example of the Florida saga.
The US is not going to be a country to look up to, NEVER! This is a country where elections are rigged. We will never measure the progress of Nigerian using the failures of a hypocritical country like the US.
If we do that, Nigeria is doomed.
I insist on all my points because of the power of the presidency in Nigeria. Obasanjo and infact all the other leaders have power over market forces! They have shown that in the past when the people rejected the increase.
Again, you are entitled to your opinion and thank you for your interest in my blog.
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My brother, I agree with you! But the fact remains that we need to have a system that works for Nigeria and Africa as whole to progress. Western world know that the secret is in institutionalizing policies and laws that even the president can’t change such that if you have a very unpopular person in power the system will still function and I think that is what we need. Government in Africa is based on personality of the person in power so much more that the other tiers of government are rendered useless. Until we have policies and systems that will pass the test of time Nigeria wont move forward. By the way I like your blog…I wouldn’t have found it without bbc though
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ok, I think we have a common demoninator here: is it called “overens” in swedish. That is an agreement.
I tried to avoid western world in my articles because the solution to the problem is Nigeria lies in Nigeria.
I will not flog on any issue regarding that; I’ll save the inspirations for my blog, my articles in the Guardian and on Nigeriannmuse.com
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We sure have an agreement…the solution to Nigerian problems lies with Nigerians but we definitely can learn from a system that works and not from what they ( western world) want us to do so that they can keep doing “Big Brother” to us. I rest my case!
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Adeola Aderounmu, you did not answer my question. The problem is Nigeria is that we seat down and keep writing problems, then what do you expect? Things to get better… You must be dreaming.
It is fine sitting down as I said saying Obasanjo is this or that but what we have to do is not sit down and pity ourselves instead we should get up, gain more skills, create jobs, do things that would make you life better.
The solution is ….please that what I want to see.
The solution is ….please that what I want to see.
The solution is …please that what I want to see, I think you get what I am saying now.
Nigeria is a country with a lot of potential, that’s what I see. I see beyond the problem, beyond oil prices, I see beyond proverty, I see a solution, I see change, not by the government but by the people. If you like reply and begin to tell the rich are getting poorer, because that’s nonsense.
For Nigeria to change, people have to realise that the government is a reflection of the people in the country. Your article criticising the election is rubbish because when it comes down to it Umaru Yar’Adua is the best candidate every Nigerian can wish for. He is not a thief and for once if election is rigged and the best candidate becomes the president then I am happy with that.
Tell me who would have being your choice. Atiku is Atiku, and I don’t want to talk about him because I will not end this article. I will write about how greedy and bad person he is. Anyone that associates with him is a thief.
Umaru Yar’Adua is one of the most educated man in Nigeria who has being a teacher that has inspired people to become doctors. This man wants to learn even at his own age, his interest is vast and the one that caught my eye what his interest in particle physics. Not many people know what this is or what it entails. The big bang, the universe, and science. That alone should excite people and he is more than that.
He could easily be the most educated and intelligent person to ever run a country in Africa. Tell me why you are complaining.
I have the knowledge of what happens in the oil industry than you and also my origin is from Niger Delta so I know more about oil than you. Foget Guardian, it tells you only a tiny bit of what’s going on.
Oil or crude oil, is what runs Nigeria. The economy isn’t big enough to challenge the revenue from oil. Revenue from oil is about 70% of budgetary revenues. Where the money goes is none of my business. If I think of where the money is going I will just keep asking questions especially like how the get away with it.
Just to make sure you know how much Niger Delta makes, Sani Abacha stole more than $4billion when he was president for only 5 years 93 to98. That is a lot of money in 98. Of course he probably told $10billion and that is an amazing figure.
I aint no politician but what I am saying is that the militant in Niger Delta can control the oil prices whether they know that or not with the pipe destroyed. I just realised maybe because I said pipe line and you thought so a few thousand of dollars, well I am talking taking about millions of dollars.
You think Obasanjo have power on oil prices you just wait and see. If things do not change especially for the people in Niger Delta, Lagos will crumble. Umaru Yar’Adua can change of that if he did what he did to Katsina State to all 36 states.
That is why the economy has to grow and GSM might seem little to you but that has raised Nigeria economically its untrue.
What Nigeria need is the next big idea, maybe an alternative fuel. If Nigeria relies on the oil of Niger Delta then they give the militants more power but in saying that, the government need to make observable change in Delta, maybe light or education for every child. Sometime that will make them say finally the listened.
What am I doing? I am planning to give Nigeria a face lift. I want to creat job opportunities and help in the economic growth of my beautiful country.
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Glo: your point of view will destroy Nigeria. Yar Adua may be the best candidate among all the thieves that wanted to be president in Nigeria but to bring him thru a fraudulent and scandalous selection (that was not an election) is the height of stupidity. The selection (Never an election) is the worst in human history. Since you do not care about how we elect our leaders, I can only conclude that you do not have the interests of Nigerians in your heart and thererfore, this will be my last rejoinder with you.
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Adeola Aderounmu: As I said before you do not have solutions and that’s what will destroy Nigeria. People talking about problems and problems it makes me sick. You are naive and behaving like a child. Tell me last when people did not have influence on your voting. If the election was repeated again Umaru Yar’Adua will win by the same margin. People which to be honest were few said two things first they were forced to vote for PDP, and secondly they didn’t vote. This is a lame excuse to call the election a fraud. If the lawyers were the only ones that went on strike which to be honest isn’t exactly run properly then people accept the result, end of story.
What we have to do is move forward. As I said soltion and don’t say things like I what to destroy my country because that’s just stupid talk.
I will ask you a question what exactly made this election fraudulent? You see when it comes down to it Umaru Yar’Adua could be the best thing that happened to Nigeria and you would turn around and say it was built on fraud?
If PDP did not intervine and Atiku became the president, head will roll. You sit down there and talk like a kid makes me angry. I have spoken to a lot of my friends and they agree. If you will sit down there and say it is fraud and do nothing then you are worse.
As I said if we do not want someone in office they won’t be there. We are Nigerians and trust me if we see someone we do not like in office we will try our best to get ride of him. So far that hasn’t happen and won’t.
WHEN YOU HAVE A SOLUTION MAIL ME.
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Hun! So much for Petrol Prices been determined by market forces. In Nigeria, the price of petrol is not determined by any yeye market forces.
In Nigeria, it is the government that fixed everything.
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