Adams Oshiomhole, senator representing Edo North, has revealed how he mobilised residents of Ogun state to protest the removal of petrol subsidy during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Oshiomhole made the disclosure on Sunday at the seventh national discourse organised by The Companion, an association of Muslim men in business and the professions, at the University of Lagos (UNILAG).
The event, themed “Nigeria’s Political Landscape and The Ethno-Religious Divides,” was chaired by Ibrahim Shekarau, former governor of Kano, while Obafemi Hamzat, deputy governor of Lagos, attended as special guest of honour.
Reflecting on his time as president of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Oshiomhole said he opposed the planned subsidy removal because he did not believe the Obasanjo administration had the capacity to distribute the benefits fairly to ordinary Nigerians.
“All I tried to do when I was NLC President, for example, was to go to Abeokuta and say to Abeokuta people… this subsidy Baba want to take, he can take it, but he cannot return it to the poor because they claim it is wasteful they will take it and do something for the poor.”
“He has the capacity to take, but he doesn’t have the enabling capacity to distribute it because certain infrastructure you need for such distribution are absent.
“To prove this to the people, I got Ogun people, including Afolabi, to go on strike against Obasanjo. When we organised those protests, even the University of Lagos (UNILAG) workers and the students joined us. Only the vice-chancellor and the HODs pretended to be neutral, but in private, they agreed that if the battles succeed, they too will benefit for four years.”
Oshiomhole also said many people who criticised his position at the time are now complaining about the high cost of petrol.
“Now, everybody is saying, ‘I can’t pay N100,000 for one litre, how much is my salary.’ I have seen those who used to lecture me about wastage, diversion, better deployment of resources, I have seen them now speaking my language. But I told, no, we’ve moved on, forward ever, backward never.”
Speaking on the conference theme, the former Edo governor argued that ethnicity should not define politics in a democratic society, saying Nigerians face similar challenges regardless of their ethnic background.
“In rejecting feudal rulership and opting for democracy, ethnicity should have no place, because the poor man from the west, north and south all have the same federal character. And there is no difference between the hunger in the Yoruba man’s stomach and that of the one in Urhobo or in Auchi.”
“In my view, there is no such thing as ethnic right because within every ethnic group, you have the oppressor and the oppressed. You have the good, the bad and the ugly. And you also have people of diverse religions. It is so in the north and south.”
Oshiomhole said democracy should protect the rights of individuals rather than promote ethnic interests.
“My summary is this: we own Nigeria. The challenge we have now is how to demystify the ethnic thing, remove that shield, let everybody bear his father’s name. Let’s compete for power not on the basis of where you come but on the basis of the ideas and values you bring. That way, we will build a united country.”
His remarks come amid renewed public debate over petrol subsidy, with opposition politicians and the federal government taking opposing positions on whether the policy should be restored.
Ojo Triumph
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