From David Onwuchekwa, Nnewi
Spiritual Head, Soul Revival Outreach, Okpuno-Egbu, Umudim, Nnewi, Anambra State, Prophet Iyke Uzukwu, yesterday, said that the President Bola Tinubu administration had created more problems to Nigerians other than solution with the recent removal of fuel subsidy.
Prophet Uzukwu said the big question had remained how an oil-producing nation like Nigeria could be talking about subsidy. He queried what subsidy could be.
He said in many countries of the world that things subsidized included cars, housing accommodation, food items, household property, among other things but oil. He said that the intention for subsidizing those items was to make life easy for citizens of those countries.
“We are not supposed to talk about subsidy in Nigeria because we have enough oil. The price of fuel was N11.00 during General Sani Abacha’s regime as the Nigerian Head of State between 1993 and 1998 and he later increased it to N24.00 because of Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
“Then President Olusegun Obasanjo came in and increased it to from 24.00 to something above N50.00. It was reduced by President Musa Yar’Adua. If there were subsidy, why did late President Yar’Adua reduce the pump price of fuel when he came in?
“President Goodluck Jonathan came in after Yar’Adua and increased it again.
“What are they subsidizing? Nigeria has refineries but none of them is functioning. But Alhaji Aliko Dangote, a private individual business man has a functional refinery. So, Dangote is richer than Federal Governement? Why on earth should Nigeria have refineries that are not working? How much would the Federal Governement spend to fix those refineries that are moribund now? This is shameful, ” the Prophet said.
He insisted that the Nigerian governement was deceiving the masses. He said he believed that there was nothing like fue subsidy. He appealed to the media to further explain to the masses what the subsidy was which he said he believed never existed. He described it as a way of siphoning public funds.
On President Tinubu’s appointments, Prophet Uzukwu said the President was, however, liberal, noting that he had not totally abandoned Federal Character in comparison with his predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said that former President Buhari faced people from his ethnic nationalities and Northerners in his appointment considerations.
” In appointments, Tinubu has surpassed Buhari. We appreciate it. He tries to respect Federal Character policy. But that’s not enough for him to say there will be crisis if he is removed as Presdent for his inability to secure 25 percent votes in Abuja Federal Capital Territory as he was quoted saying.
“He should not said that because he is not above the Constitution of Nigeria that made that provision of 25% votes in the FCT. Nobody is bigger than Nigeria. Saying that there will be crisis if the tribunal removes him, triggers a question whether he wants to sponsor a war? His ambition and personal interest can never be above the collective interest of Nigerians. The Constitution must be obeyed, ” he said.
The Prophet noted that Tinubu could do better than former President Buhari. He said he had nothing against him as a person who he said could not be controlled by the cabals in Aso Rock but he insisted that the Constitution must be obeyed.
On the alleged proposal by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio to spend a whopping sum of money that runs to billions of naira, N110billion as reported, on bullet-proof vehicles, Uzukwu said that should not be thought of when generality of the Nigerian masses wallow in abject poverty.
He reasoned that most members of the Senate were former State Governors who had their indivifual bullet-proof vehicles which he said they could be using. He advised that they could buy other less expensive official vehicles to enable them take good care of their constituents with the money that could be saved.
He said that governement should not be extravagant with borrowed money.
“We also heard that N70 billion was set aside by the Federal Governement for members of the National Assembly to share only to distribute N8,000 to each Nigerian poor family for six months. I describe the move as myopic and misplacement of priorities. That’s quite nonsensical. I bet you the money, if released, would be highjacked by governement officials, by politicians. And how much is N8,000 per poor Nigerian family, by the way?
“What they should do is to work out a strategy to bring down prices of commodities in the market. That’s the best way to impact on the Nigerian masses positively, not distribution of money. That’s meaningless.
“I have always said that the National Assembly is the problem of this country but many people do not understand me. They are afraid, that’s why they look for bullet-proof vehicles. They are not doing well, they are afraid of the unknown. They abandoned the masses. If they are not afraid, what’s the need for such expensive vehicles, bullet-proof vehicles?
“Do you know the allowances of each National Assembly member will be enough to run three local government areas in a State.? The system is very expressive. The members should not be elected as full-time lawmakers. It should be on a part-time basis whereby they should receive only seating allowance.
“It appears there are demons in Aso Rock who manipulate activities of the members. Aso Rock needs spiritual cleansing because anybody even good people who go there start misbehaving the moment they hit Aso Rock, ” he said.
Prophet Uzukwu advised members of the Presidential Election Petition and the Court to do the needful and deliver judgement that posterity would have no reason to ask them questions.
