James Buchan, an established novelist, historian and journalist once made an essential commentary that mirrors the current ‘petrocalyptic’ menace rampaging through various cities in Nigeria like some deranged beast in optimal acceleration, projecting human bodies sideways in pure rage . In his wisdom, he said: ‘A century ago, petroleum – what we call oil – was just an obscure commodity; today it is almost as vital to human existence as water’.
From every blatant fact surrounding that statement, it would be foolish for anyone to agree less with James Buchan. It is no news that technology has taken the world into a whole new dimension by prioritizing petrol as one commodity humanity cannot do without. Although research efforts are being directed at producing biofuel as an alternative, the importance of PMS cannot be over-emphasized.
In that direction, it would be most unnecessary for me to say that our cars, generators, and power plants have not made our lives a more pleasurable one than the experience of crude primitivism that existed millenniums back.
However the overbearing impacts of technology on humanity, the words of Neil deGrasse Tyson jolted my imagination unto embarking on a thought-provoking exercise. According to him, ‘Even with all our technology and the inventions that make modern life so much easier than it once was, it takes just one big natural disaster to wipe all that away and remind us that, here on Earth, we’re still at the mercy of nature.’ That is to say that as almighty as technology could appear to be,the brutality of Nature’s fury can wreak a serious havoc on it.
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit Nepal in April. Millions of properties were lost and thousands of people were crushed to death. Despite the magnitude of devastation accompanying the struck of natural disaster,a political administration in Nigeria has proven to the world that certain man-made disasters are graver than Nature’s.
The present fuel scarcity crisis in Nigeria is more of an economic earthquake—a picture of pure incompetence,well-orchestrated by a bunch of corrupt elements who are mistakenly blessed with sensitive political portfolios in a country like ours where impunity thrives above sanity.
If the situation of things could be this battered in spite of the abundance of crude oil present at our disposal,what would be the fate of ordinary Nigerians should our Black Diamond stage a disappearing act?
Goodluck Jonathan is a very good man but his administration is a disaster in concrete terms. He is perfect epitome of a disgraced administrator who was bestowed with myriad of expectations. He exhibited interests in improving the face of our downsizing economy. But instead of improving it,he successfully plunged it into the abyss of depression. History will surely speak of his disastrous administrative blunders, most notoriously,the removal of fuel subsidy,which became the mother of accompanying hikes in fuel prices as well as the ‘apocalypse’ that hit the acquisition of petroleum products nationwide(Petrocalypse).
Once again,this ‘petrocalyptic’ situation would not have been this grave if not for the blatant incompetence of those saddled with the responsibility of regulating it. I hope they would account for this daredevil misadventure when the probing eyes of justice comes lurking.
Democracy is for the people and not against them. Why would a government derive justification from the misery of those it claims to cater for? The caustic truth is that for the fact that you are voted out of power,your grudge should not be directed against the people who elected you,for they elected you there in the first place. Your comments might not express your disappointment at failing to secure a re-election,but your attitude speaks volume of that. Take this from me sir: No one voted you out of power but your reputation and unpopularity did!
Aside with the past and attention on the present. At last! The long-awaited ‘Messiah’ is here! The General is here to lift up the victims of circumstance from the shackles of poverty unto a haven of vibrant economy jazzed with millions of employment opportunities! It was so disheartening that I could not watch the hand-over ceremony live owing to the disaster in the power sector. In the first place,what was the essence of the so-called privatization charade? How has it made our lives an inch better? May God pay members of this past administration back in their own coin.
Nigerians everywhere were frisky with liveliness. I could see the frisson of pure excitement,fresh expectations and high hopes glowing in their eyes of millions across the nation. Even an octogenarian beside me was praising God for the ‘CHANGE’ that has come—with an expressed hope that his grandchildren would have a better life as the All Progressives Congress seize the baton of governance. Only God knows how high a hope I have too.
In his hand-over address,General Mohammadu Buhari made it clear that he is for everybody just as well as he is for nobody. Clearly, that statement would have passed a shock wave in the minds of those who were expecting to run their usual Godfatherism game in this new administration. I am sure they would be biting their nails with regrets and disbelief,because their ‘opportunism’ bet has been place on the wrong horse.
In a nutshell,I want to plead with the General to do something drastic about the ravaging fuel scarcity situation in the country,because the situation is getting more unbearable by the day. Also,he should tackle the issues of terrorism and corruption and revive our pathetic economy.
God bless us,General Mohammadu Buhari and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Lucky Alade