“Kachikwu’s flippancy was out-of-line. He was basically
telling Nigerians that they should be lucky that they are getting the
inadequate supply they now suffer…” Apparently appalled by his seeming lack of
empathy and manifest arrogance, a former governor of Lagos State and national
leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, lampooned Ibe
Kachikwu, Minister of State, Petroleum, for telling Nigerians that he “was not
trained as a magician”, a reference to the lingering fuel scarcity that appears
to be defying efforts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.
Tinubu, who is not known for flippancy, wondered why a
public servant would talk down on those he was meant to serve, charging:
“Kachikwu’s flippancy was out-of-line. He was basically telling Nigerians that
they should be lucky that they are getting the inadequate supply they now
suffer and that they should just be quiet and endure the shortage for several
weeks more”.
The ten paragraph statement, titled: “KACHIKWU NEEDS TO KNOW
THAT RESPECT AND GOOD PERFORMANCE WILL DO WHAT MAGIC CANNOT”, dripping with
venomous pillory, nevertheless, attempted to inspire hope that, whereas tough
times were here, “we must all realize that they would be even harder and much
darker would be the immediate horizon had we allowed the venal, kleptocracy of
the PDP to continue to lord over the land solely for their selfish benefit and
not for the common good.”
The APC leader went
on: “I am confident that President Buhari and this government can resolve the
issues that press us. From establishing full security and safety to staking a
claim to true economic prosperity and fairness, this government shall salvage
our national pride and purpose”.
Tinubu’s statement
reads: “1.The art of governance is difficult and complex, especially during
trying times. The steep reduction in global oil prices from over 100 dollars
per barrel to roughly 40 presents a hard challenge. We can no longer afford
past practices. Nigeria now requires creative reform, materially changing the
substance of national economic policy as well as the objectives of that policy
and how the policy is presented to the people. Therein lies the essence of
progressive democratic governance.
“2.The Buhari administration represents the last best hope
we have to install such governance in Nigeria and avert the catastrophe that
would have befallen us had the prior government remained in place. Had the
nation continued with the spendthrift corruption and vagabond economic policies
of that administration, we would have soon experienced such a collision with
the harsh consequences of that government’s malign ways that our very
institutions of government may have been distorted beyond fixture and repair.
“3.In this effort,
there may be no economic matter more difficult to unravel and more sensitive to
the purse of the average person than the current fuel scarcity. Even here I am
confident of progress because I know the commitment of the president to
resolving this matter. I make no attempt to hide it. I am an avid and partisan
supporter of this government and of the progressive policies of the party, the
APC, upon which this government is based.
“4. With that I do
reserve the right and the duty as a Nigerian to voice my opinion when I believe
a member of this government has strayed from the progressive calling required
of this administration. I do this because my greater devotion and love are for
this nation and its people. Party and politics fall secondary.
“5.Much public ire
has been drawn to the statement made by minister of state Ibe kachikwu that he
was not trained as a magician and that basically Nigerians should count
themselves fortunate that the NNPC under his stewardship has been able to bring
in the amount of petrol fuel it is currently doing.
“6.Perhaps the statement by Kachikwu was made in a moment of
unguarded frustration or was an awkward attempt at a joke. Whatever the motive,
it was untimely and off-putting. The remark did not sit well with the Nigerian
people; they were as right to feel insulted as the Minister was wrong to have
said such a thing. The fuel shortage is severely biting for the average person.
They are forced to remain in lines far too long, for too much time, to pay too
much money for too little fuel. This is no joking matter. Livelihoods and
people’s welfare are at stake. With so much on the line, Kachikwu’s flippancy
was out-of-line. He was basically telling Nigerians that they should be lucky
that they are getting the inadequate supply they now suffer and that they
should just be quiet and endure the shortage for several weeks more.
“7.Kachikwu’s intervention was unhelpful. It panicked and disappointed the
public as to the duration of the crisis. It insulted the people by its
tonality.
He spoke with the imperious nature of a THE MINISTER OF
STATE FOR PETROLEUM RESOURCES, DR EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU THE MINISTER OF STATE
FOR PETROLEUM RESOURCES, DR EMMANUEL IBE KACHIKWU member of the elitist
government the people voted out last year and not the progressive one they
voted in. Kachikwu must be reminded that he was not coerced to take this job.
He accepted the job and its responsibilities knowingly. He also must remember
that he does not own NNPC. This also is not a private company that owes nothing
to the public except the duty of fair dealing. He is a public servant. The seat
he sits upon is owned by Nigerians not by him. The company he runs is owned by
Nigerians not by him. They are his boss. He is not theirs. Power is vested in
the people. He is a mere custodian or agent of their will. In talking to us in
such a manner, he committed an act of insubordination. If he had talked so
cavalierly to his boss in the private sector, he would have been reprimanded or
worse. If wise, the man should refrain from such interjections in the future.
“8.As his ultimate bosses, the people have a right to demand
the requisite performance and respect from him. He should apologize for
treating them so lightly in this instance. His portfolio being a strategically
important one, he needs to re-establish the correct relationship with the
public. They no longer feel he is working for their optimal benefit as their
servant. Instead, he seems to be standing above them, telling them to take it
or leave it. For his policies and stint in office to be successful and a help
to this government, he must have the support and belief of the people at this
tough time. He must talk to them in a way that they believe he seeks their best
interest and understands the hardship weighing upon them. He must ask them to
work with him and perhaps to endure a bit longer but with the knowledge that he
is working to resolve this matter as fast as he can and as permanently as
possible.
That he is dedicated to the position that once these current
lines are gone that never again shall they reappear as long as he has any
influence in the matter. To do this, requires no magic nor training in that
strange craft. It requires empathy, compassion and the willpower to forge a
better Nigeria. These must be the common trademarks of those serving in a
progressive government for these attributes are integral parts of the spirit
and ideals upon which the APC was founded. Upon such notions was this
administration voted into office by the Nigerian people in the operation of
their sovereign will to seek a national leadership that would pursue their interests
to the utmost and give them every fair chance to live in a better Nigeria.
“9.Even though times are hard we must all realize that they
would be even harder and much darker would be the immediate horizon had we
allowed the venal, kleptocracy of the PDP to continue to lord over the land
solely for their selfish benefit and not for the common good. “10. I am
confident that President Buhari and this government can resolve the issues that
press us. From establishing full security and safety to staking a claim to true
economic prosperity and fairness, this government shall salvage our national
pride and purpose. “Let all of us, in and out, of government never forget this.
If we adhere to this remembrance, we shall see that magic will not be needed to
bring the progress we seek.
Fuel Scarcity: Tinubu blasts Buhari’s minister
Reviewed by Unknown
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Sunday, March 27, 2016
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