SIR: I deem it necessary, as a Nigerian, to write this open letter to the Inspector-General of Police Solomon Arase, over his recent order for arrest and prosecution of ’persons selling fuel in containers’, as reported by several newspapers.
I join millions of other Nigerians who are adversely affected by this order, to beseech the IGP to rescind this very unpopular order, in the interest of the generality of Nigerians, to whom he owes it a duty to, not only protect their lives and property, but also to be concerned about their welfare.
Firstly, the order is very ill-timed, coming at a time when Nigerians have to contend with untold and excruciating hardship imposed by the lingering fuel scarcity, the longest of its kind, in the recent times, and one, in respect of which the Federal Government is apparently confused about the solution. It is common knowledge that the activities of the ‘black-marketers’ of petroleum products is fuelled by the woeful failure on the part of government, to ensure adequate supply of the products.
Secondly, and as if the foregoing was not enough, the situation has been aggravated by the epileptic power supply, or better put, the seizure thereof, which ravages the length and breadth of the nation. The power situation which poses as about the worst of its kind in recent times, sunk to a historic zero-MW throughout the nation, for more than three hours, a couple of weeks ago. This is further exacerbated by the scorching weather condition imposed by the prolongation of the dry season and seizure of rainfall. These, put together, have dealt heavy blows on Nigerians who now have to scramble for the very little supply of fuel in circulation, to transport and generate power for personal consumption. Will it not be very untoward as well as be an insult upon injury, if we further place this arbitrary restriction on access to fuel?
Thirdly, the order of the IGP is impracticable without having to compound the suffering of unsuspecting Nigerians. This is because, the aforesaid fuel scarcity is characterised by long queues on which people spend the better part of their days, if not whole days. After having painfully scaled through such queues, one would, under the regime of the IGP’s order, only be opportune to fill a generator fuel tank, which commonly ranges between four litres and 20 litres in capacity, quantities only good enough to last for less than 24 hours. One therefore, would be condemned to return to the same queue the next day, at the detriment of his/her work, health, time and leisure.
As for the submission of the IGP that many lives could be lost as a result of eventualities from storage of fuel in homes, I say, as much as this is true, more catastrophic casualties may result from the suffocating multitudes, accumulating in filling stations, as a result of radiation from mobile devices.
Let me say, for the avoidance of doubt that I am not in any way supportive of the activities of black marketers. Rather, the gospel I preach is that ‘chopping off a head is never the solution to headache’.
Rather than arrest and prosecute innocent Nigerians who struggle daily to put-up with the government-imposed hardship and suffering, let the government arrest corruption, activity of the oil cabal causing artificial fuel scarcity, epileptic power supply and economic recession. Let the IGP arrest the armed robbers, the kidnappers (both ritual and commercial), the rampaging Fulani herdsmen, insurgents (Boko Haram and Niger Delta militants), black marketers of petroleum products, to mention but a few.
If you cannot help in bringing back our fuel and power supplies, #BRINGBACKOURKEGS!
by Lawal (Abdul)Fatai Abiodun