By: Ola Pat
Sometime ago, the Inspector
General of Police, IGP Solomon Arase gave a peculiar order. That order gave
rise to the title of this writing. It is now obvious that little has changed
from the Nigeria we cast out with our votes and the Nigeria we voted for.
Nigerians not only lack essential and concrete evidence of government, they are
constantly subjected to harassment and funny-reason-pattern in policies making
both from the voted and the appointed. News reports claimed that the Inspector
General of Police, IGP Arase has ordered the arrest of anybody selling or
buying petrol in Jerry cans. Is the IGP living on the moon?
With no iota of doubt, all
these people, who associate or relate with power, do live the days of their
life on the Nigerian moon away from the rest of us. They operate away from us; formulate policies
for us away from our realities. If not, how would the Inspector General of
police criminalized getting petrol (in Jerry cans) that is never available in
petrol stations. It's smacked of a moon order, from a man unaware of his
environment, far from reality. A reality that compel you to work anyhow, a
reality that forces talents to become “hasslers”. A reality of only the
strongest survived. There is no debate about it, they are not aware of this
peculiar environment and they are very far from this reality because we have
padded their days with comfort, stuff their lives with luxury. They are the
gods and goddesses of Olympus, whose abode is away from their subjects.
During the debate for fuel
price increments during President Jonathan's administration, all the panelists
for price increments, who at the same time were members of the government, were
asked how they get their fuel for personal use. Lo and behold, they got it
free, part of our unnecessary generosity to a group of overpaid, over pampered
government officials. But, I ask can a stranger decide for my family? Should overfeed
servants choose for the masters? That is the life we live. That is the way we
are. The IGP that get free petrol courtesy of the public pulse, the IGP by
virtue of his office that gets petrol gifts and the IGP that could get fuel at
gunpoint has criminalize fuel in Jerry cans. Desperate times, they say need
desperate solution. The government has
failed to provide petrol in petrol stations, just as they have failed to
provide good roads, transportation system, electricity and a host of government
responsibility.
IGP Solomon Arase has
successfully released two monsters that will have an unimaginable consequence
on the nation as a whole. Firstly, his instruction will finally put the country
economic activities on full stop especially the micro-economy. This section of
the economy runs on I-pass-my-neighbour generators, these are your tailors,
salons, vulgarizer, pepper grinders and others.
Then the second major problem of this petrol and Jerry cans issue is
that petrol in Jerry cans will continue but only men in uniform will be able to
carry on the illegality. Mr. Arase have successfully empowered and monopolized
for his corrupt prone and trigger happy constituency the business of petrol in
Jerry cans in addition to their other illegal business services from
motor-boy-escort, danfo driving to okada riding.
It is a conspiracy that the
IGP failed to tackle petrol diversion to neighbouring countries, it is
incomprehensible that people that are verse in economics theories refuse to
draw the attention of the security officer to the economic impact of his order.
Where were the stakeholders when he was formulating this policy? Until this
order is repealed, I will either have to buy a car, or borrow from my
neighbours in other to Power my generating set.
