One
gets the feeling that beyond the unresolved issues of the exact sum spent on
kerosene subsidy and the legality or otherwise of the policy, a critical part
of the discourse threading through it all is the issue of why kerosene
continues to sell above the pump price of N50 per litre.
There
is a sense in which this fact should matter to all well-meaning contributors to
this discourse. Not just to members of the National Assembly who as accredited
representatives of the people are paid to oversee the welfare and comfort of
their constituents, especially as elections approach, but to anyone concerned
with how public policy impact on the lives of citizens.
It
is essential that we get to the bottom of the matter...
A
good look at the processes it takes for kerosene gets to the end-user will no
doubt help everybody understand why prices remain consistently high despite
years of subsidy. In the end, it is clear that however the number of litres
supplied and whatever the stipulated pump prize, there will always be people
willing to circumvent the system. And these people do not necessarily work for
the NNPC or PPMC.>>>>
