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New tariff: Don’t let it spread to the poor, let the rich pay – Obi
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), in the February 25, 2023 election, seems to be in support of the hike in electricity tariff in Nigeria, provided that it must restricted to the rich who could afford it, with a strict warning that must not spread to suffering Nigerians merely sweating it out to eke out their daily living.
Obi, who spoke in Bauchi on Sunday, as part of his continued visits to all parts of the country to assist Nigerians fight the impact of the sustained economic hardship stressed the need for the Federal Government to provide subsidies on electricity tariffs for less-privileged Nigerians.
Obi, who inaugurated a borehole project in the Sabon Layi Community on the outskirt of Bauchi metropolis, argued that if there was an absolute necessity for an increase in tariffs, it should solely target individuals with the financial wherewithal, rather than burdening those who were already struggling.
Highlighting the importance of supporting small businesses and promoting economic growth, he further stressed the need for a concerted effort to generate more power, insisting that on no account should government allow the increase in tariffs spread beyond rich Nigerians with the deep pocket to pay.
Hear him: “There are areas where those who could easily afford it are living that can go on. Then you use the resources to subsidise fro those who can’t afford it, because we need to do a lot of improvements in power area. It’s been taking too long where we need to generate and distribute more power.
“But we have to put into consideration that majority of Nigerians are suffering. So, we need to support those areas in order to be able to live and be able to produce something, because when they’re able to produce something, eventually, we’ll be able to pull them out of poverty.
“That’s where my theory of moving from consumption to production comes in. It is a critical part of production. We need to support small business by ensuring that these tariffs are not spread at the same level for the big and for the small.”
Obi, while suing for peace in Nigeria, maintained that seeing each other as the same was the only way Nigerians could live together without rancour, adding that it was for this reason that he had decided to be visiting Nigerians personally rather than sending representatives, because of the need not only to speak to them directly but also feel their pulse.
“I advocate for peace. I’m a man who believes in peace. I’m a man who believes in unity. I’m a man who believes that we’re all the same. I don’t see any difference between you and me. But I have the grace of the almighty to do the right thing. That’s why I’m coming. You could see that I came here personally, I could have easily sent people to do this. No. I’m embracing the communities myself, talking to them myself and listening to them so that we can know how to solve the problems. I’m going to come out with so many things we need to do. We leaders need to do more. We need to go to them more. We need to embrace them more. We need to talk to them more.”
Hours after Mohammed Hayatu-Deen did, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, on Tuesday, also flatly rejected the outcome of the presidential primaries, of the African Democratic Congress, alleging widespread voter disenfranchisement and electoral malpractice.
Amaechi former Minister of Transportation and former Governor of Rivers State, described the announced results as “concocted,” insisting that the process failed to meet the standards of transparency and fairness earlier promised by the party.
He said in a statement: “I unequivocally reject the concocted results being announced,” Amaechi stated.
He said he had previously maintained that he would only accept the outcome of the primaries if the process was free, fair and transparent, stressing that the exercise did not reflect the democratic values the ADC claimed to represent.
“I will not accept results from a process that does not reflect the values that the ADC had pledged to uphold, to rescue Nigerians from the impunity and gross mismanagement that our country is currently facing in the hands of the ruling party,” he said.
Amaechi alleged that a significant number of party members were denied the opportunity to vote during the exercise.
“There’s no way that about eighty percent of members of the party were not allowed to vote, and you expect me to accept such results,” he stated.
The former Rivers State governor questioned the moral basis of the ADC criticising the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over alleged electoral malpractice while allegedly engaging in similar conduct internally.
“A party that criticizes the ruling APC and INEC for vote buying, rigging and writing of results, cannot be engaged in vote buying, writing of results, and other electoral malpractices that leads to the disenfranchisement of voters who are party members. This is not acceptable!” he declared.
Amaechi said the ADC was envisioned as a platform to amplify the voices of ordinary Nigerians and provide credible political alternatives irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social background.
His rejection of the outcome is expected to deepen tensions within the opposition party following the conclusion of its presidential primary election.
“These timeless virtues of devotion, selflessness, and submission to divine will are values our nation desperately needs today,” were the exact words with which Godswill Akpabio, attempted to rouse Nigerians to the ethos of unquestionable faith and service to the country.
Akpabio, Chairman of the National Assembly, who drew example from Prophet Ibrahim, admonished Nigerians to emulate his unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
The Senate President, who conveyed his sentiments via a statement by Eseme Eyiboh, also used the specifically hail President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Kashim Shettima and Muslim faithful in Nigeria and around the world as they celebrate Eid El Kabir.
Stressing that the occasion called for prayer and sober reflection on the theme of sacrifice, he added: “This sacred occasion reminds us of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering faith, obedience, and willingness to sacrifice for the sake of Almighty Allah.
“To our dear President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, his vice, Senator Kashim Shettima and Muslim brothers and sisters, I felicitate with them on behalf of my family, constituents and the Senate on this blessed Eid. May the lessons of sacrifice, compassion, and generosity that define this season strengthen your faith and bring peace to your homes.
“As you share with the less privileged and extend love to neighbours of all faiths, you embody the true spirit of Nigeria. To all Nigerians, I urge us to use this solemn period to pray fervently for peace, security, and prosperity in our land. Let us pray for our troops in the frontlines, for farmers to return safely to their fields, and for unity to prevail over division in our Nation.
“Eid El Kabir also calls us to deep reflection on the future of our country. Just as Prophet Ibrahim was tested, Nigeria is in a season of testing. The sacrifices we make today in patience, in tolerance and in choosing hope over despair will determine the Nigeria our children inherit.
“The Renewed Hope Agenda of this administration, supported by the National Assembly, is anchored on that same principle: that meaningful progress often requires collective sacrifice.
“May Almighty Allah accept your prayers and sacrifices. May He heal our land, guide our leaders, and bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Barka da Sallah. Eid Mubarak.”
“I will not be attending the announcement of the ADC Presidential Election Results today. I am concerned by reports from across the country of widespread vote rigging, some of which I myself observed, and will therefore be taking advice on my next steps.”
These were the exact words of Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, one of the presidential aspirants of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with which he cast a slur on the ongoing presidential primaries of the party, hinging his position on reports of fraud trailing the exercise.
Hayatu-Deen, a second timer in the search for the nation’s number one job, ran against Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former Vice President and Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation.
In a statement on his assessment of the exercise which began on Monday, the renowned economist Chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), used his X platform to convey his dissatisfaction with the process.
The ADC which said the collation for the exercise would take place in Abuja had urged aspirants, party leaders, delegates, and members to conduct themselves peacefully and uphold party unity.
Bolaji Abdullahi, its spokesman, who described the exercise as a defining moment for both the ADC and Nigerians seeking a credible political alternative, maintained that it remained committed to internal democracy and a transparent leadership selection process.
“The ADC remains proud to stand today as the only truly democratic party in Nigeria because it is the only political party whose choice of presidential candidate is determined through open primaries,” he said adding that the conduct of aspirants and party members during the exercise would reflect the leadership culture the ADC seeks to promote.
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