Festival of Hikes: A Piece From The APC Pandora’s Box

By Ifeanyi Obute 

Indeed, it has been a festivity of one hike to the other. Nigeria is undergoing a Christmas and Sallah feast of goods and services hikes, all thanks to the extra compassionate APC Government in power. When COVID-19 is forcing most other Governments to subsidize goods and services, Nigeria is busy escalating the prices of essential goods and services to her citizenry.

The Government’s level of gross insensitivity and indifference to the masses’ plights, continues to rear its ugly head in the form of harsh economic policies it has been pursuing in recent times. When the level of unemployment is hitting rooftop, inflation is plunging, hunger and starvation rising with an astronomical speed etc, all the Government could do is for her to be hiking prices of essential commodities.

All those hikes, have left ordinary Nigerians in a state of untold hardships. And to make matters practically unbearable, it’s happening when such hikes should not have been contemplated: COVID-19 era, the worst timing ever!

Regardless of whatever technical ‘mumbo-jumbo’ that the APC Government could ever reel out in form of explanations and justifications, average Nigerians would never be able to understand because there is nothing to understand, other than the Government’s complete lack of compassion, ingenuity, and competence.

Surely, hiking prices of subsidized essential commodities, is not the brightest way to circumvent the COVID-19 induced economic meltdown. There are a thousand and one alternatives that the Government could have adopted, but it seems like they are very eager to unnecessarily PUNISH POOR Nigerians, because all those hikes would not affect the households of the top Government officials. The President, ministers, Governors, Senators, House of Reps members etc, would ever feel the impact of the inimical hikes they are rushing to put in place. It’s only the poor masses that would have to be drinking from the poisonous cup of the undue hikes. What ever long-term economic gains the Government envisages from those hikes, is not worth the excruciating pains it’s causing the people.

The festivity of maniacal hikes, took a dangerous turn in February this year, when the VAT was increased from 5% to 7.5%. The increment happened even in the face of strong public outcries against such increase. Various representatives of the Masses were still trying to discourage the Federal Government from carrying out the VAT increase, but the Government decided to block her ears to the cries of the masses. What a COMPASSIONATE and KIND-HEARTED Federal Government. VAT was increased anyways, and the result quickly reflected in an increased sufferings for the ordinary people. What can the people do? Nothing but to continue to groan in pains.

We were still trying to get used to the VAT related difficulties, when out of the blues, Stamp Duty charges of #50.00 on any deposit of more than #10,000.00 was introduced. The incongruous charges was said to be a CBN directive, but we all know that CBN is the Federal Government’s fiscal and monetary tool. Whatever directives emanating from them, must reflect the fiscal decisions of the Government. After much public outcries from the masses, proponents and supporters of the policy, claimed that it’s an Act that was in existence before now, that this Government only reviewed and reactivated it. It doesn’t matter if it was existing before, wasn’t SLAVE TRADE, KILLING OF TWINS, HUMAN SACRIFICE etc, practiced before? That it was an Act that was jettisoned before, only to be reactivated now, doesn’t change the inimical implications of the charges on the average Nigerian. It’s clearly what it is, an obnoxious means of collecting from the masses, to pay for the rising cost of governance in Nigeria.

Nigerians are still reeling with the harsh effects of the increased VAT, Stamp Duty charges, COVID-19 economic meltdown etc, when Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), announced over 100% increase in Power tariff. The announcement took effect from 1st of September this year. From the usual #30.25 for kilowatt unit of energy per hour, the new rate is now #62.33 for the same quantity. Nigerians got mad, but the Government seems not to care one bit. The national Power generation, and effective Transmission of roughly 7000MW and 4000MW respectively, didn’t improve, yet the tariff went up more than 100%. Indeed, when other nations are having a Feast of increased Government subsidies of the essential commodities, ours is a direct opposite.
And most recently, the price of Premium Motor Spirit was readjusted upwards from #143 to #151.56 per litre.

The announcement was made by Pipelines and Products Marketing Company PPMC, a subsidiary of NNPC. Minister of State for Petroleum, Timipre Sylva said that it wasn’t the making of the Federal Government, but we all know that it’s the Federal Government that calls the shots in NNPC, and if PPMC is a subsidiary of NNPC, wherein lies any sense or logic in Mr. Minister’s claims.

Furthermore, the report says that the new price is #151.56, but yesterday being the 4th of September, I bought fuel at an NNPC filling station in Enugu at the tune of #160.00 per litre. I am still trying to reconcile the relationship between #151.56 and #160. Almost a difference of #9. There’s no truth in the feast!
All these hikes are happening in a time when there’s too much sufferings already. People are not resisting the reckless excesses from the Government. CSOs are relaxing, Pressure groups are speaking too many grammar, religious bodies are doing more of talking. It’s a high time Nigeria is shut down by Nigerians, for a stop to all these inhuman treatments from our Government.

Whenever any Government begins to act in a very detached manner, it’s the prerogative of the Masses, to legitimately call them to order, via any means necessary. Shut down Nigeria, and end the festival of hardships and sufferings!

Ifeanyi Obute writes from Enugu.
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