SIR: The Governor of Edo state ceased being Comrade when he argued that prices are never stable, and so, even if he would not subscribe to “fuel subsidy removal” per se, he supported fuel price increase. He, like most of the other Governors swallowed the yeast of President Goodluck Jonathan (GJ) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), because of the minimum wage of N18.000 that the labour forces insisted upon.
I felt disappointed in Adams Oshiomhole particularly because he was a reputable comrade, as the former president of the Nigeria Labour Congress who was positively fierce in logical arguments. In respect of the fabricated “fuel subsidy removal”, however, he turned his back against the masses. Why did he conveniently overlook the fact that GJ was merely covering up stealing in the oil and gas sector? Yielding easily to imperialists, means Oshiomhole sees nothing wrong in their political operations. Who, then, should ordinary Nigerians look up to for the struggle for a better Nigeria?
Be that as it may, the Governor spoke like a comrade again when he promised never to outlaw commercial motorcycling (popularly called okada) in Edo state. Henceforth, I will resume addressing him as Comrade. I always lament that rulers who outlaw okada do so because they lack sympathy for pedestrians, and they themselves are driven in official vehicles when they don’t fly. Banning okada is as wicked as some members of the National Assembly who were seeking to ban workers’ strike in Nigeria.
Many remote streets are not plied by taxes and the residents who have no cars suffer untold hardship without okada. People who have 20 cars also take okada when they are desperate to reach a destination in a bad traffic situation or when their car breaks down. Anti-people policies are easy where opposition political parties are under duress. Opposition political parties must however exist in Nigeria to chase-out the PDP that has been deceiving ordinary Nigerians about power and other amenities since 1999.
*Pius Abioje,
University of Ilorin.
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