February 8, 2025

Subsidy removal; my humble submissions


It is no longer news that payment to subsidize the import of petroleum in Nigeria has long halted and this has brought untold hardship to the entire populace, because everything in my beloved country is centred on oil!
Subsidy removal is not a problem, it is even a welcome development to the entire populace, even to the detractors of President Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

But, the only and major problem is that nothing has been done to cushion the effects! Though, a lot has been said on releasing of some amount of money to indigents, retirees, school children as well as distribution of rice as palliatives, however, this so called palliatives has generated a lot of arguments, bickerings and grumblings among government workers and non salary earners alike. In my own humble opinion, what I expected from his excellency PBAT and which I know have many advantages and will provide immediate and succor and long time solution to the issue of subsidy removal are as follows:


1. Just as subsidy removal was done suddenly, I expected that immediately after his inauguration, the president will import different types of tractors for agriculture


2. Mandate every State, local government, every political ward and communities to make us e of every available land for agriculture(food production)


3. Employ the service of agricultural researchers to swing into action and make known best crops in various soil of the country


4. Make seeds and seedlings abundantly available for planting


5. Involve everyone, government workers, non-government workers, farmers and non farmers alike to be involved

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6. Make fertilizers abundantly available and affordable


7. Involve credible youths and let there be real agric revolution


8. Create agricultural offices in all the local government headquarters where treated seeds of grains, vegetables and fruits will be easily and readily available


9. Build Silos in all the LGAs, and state capitals,


10. Ensure that farm crops are sold to people at very subsidized prices and excesses are purchased by the Government and stored in the silos, with the help of trained agriculturists, this will be achieved


11. Employ youths to oversee these, let there be supervisors and accounting officers


12. Involve the ministry of works to ensure good road network to our farm lands.


13. Create farm settlements with good communication network in areas that are far from town and let security agents be involved.


14. Each state of the federation should go back and resuscitate the specific cash crops like; Southwest rubber, cocoa, coffee and kolanut.


The North: Peanuts,
beneseed/sesame, dates, beans etc
Advantages that can be derived from the above are as follows:


1. Food security is ensured


2. Insecurity will reduce because, large expanse of uncultivated lands 8n all our States encouraged kidnapping in no small measure


3. Unemployment will be reduced as many youths both educated and non-educated will be engaged


4. There will be reduction in level of criminal activities in the country


5. Environmental health will improve


6. There will be increase in the gross domestic product of the Nation


7. Government will be able to focus on other things that will help development.

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These are part of what ought to be way out of the present inflation and starvation the nation is going through, it’s not late, we can start now, so that a true new Nigeria where no one is starved, suffocated or impoverished to the point of not being able to feed is born!


By Nurse Olabisi ©