Now that the subsidy is over

With the subsidy discussion over or almost over

If subsidy was not being discussed in the nation, what would we have been talking about? Nigeria has always had a topic to discuss from time to time and the last one year has got me thinking so much that I wonder if Nigeria is like a meeting with an agenda and the topics for discussion and time allotted for each discussion planned. From late 2010 to end of April 2011 it was all about Elections with a brief interlude on JEGA’s performance when we became logistics experts. Following that was a string of discussions on election violence that moved swiftly into the term elongation discourse in July and we all became constitutional lawyers. This was interrupted with Boko Haram bombings and everyone became security experts recommending what should or should not be done. And now we have all become petroleum economists and budget specialists.

I don’t have answers; just questions and a plea. Is this a predetermined list, if so what will be on the topic in July this year?

Two alarming things happened this last week and may be one or two newspapers reported it. A man in the UK was charged to court for smuggling guns into Nigeria and Ghana says seized guns and ammunition headed to Nigeria. Whereas the Uk incident was in 2007 no one has come forward with an explanation on where the guns ARE, who he supplied it to and whether I can sleep with both of my eyes closed. The Ghanaian case is even scarier. The truck driver confessed that this was the second trip. What happened to the first trailer? Was this truly the second? How many was planned? Who is receiving this ammunition? If our borders are porous and fuel, subsidized by my tax is flowing out, I think I would be more content being an unwilling Good Samaritan than to have a porous border that allows guns and ammunition in. Should we be discussing Nigerian Customs Reforms? Or should it be our Security Service reforms (and I don’t mean arresting activists wondering if they were sponsored by opposition but those who smuggle guns)?

It gets scarier. Nigeria has asked that the people should be transferred to Nigeria for further investigation. Given Nigeria’s excellent track record for cases that don’t get prosecuted or the hands of the leadership being tied (as Mrs Waziri and Mrs Dizeani have confessed) is this a right move? Could it be that these two incidents came to news BECAUSE they were not within Nigerian borders?

As I said earlier, I don’t have answers just questions. I won’t dissuade us from the issues on the table. However, let’s take a step back and see a bigger picture and not be distracted from other issues of importance. This is my plea: if you can pray, please pray (I got an email last week that is worth reading); If you’re an activist, please let’s add this to the list of the demands; If you have the ear of the president, please tell him we are alarmed; if you speak for the president, let’s know what’s on his mind because our children want to sleep in peace.