I have forever hated corruption, deceit and lies no matter who is telling it, be it my mother, father, siblings, relatives and friends alike. I have always believed in truth as the ultimate yardstick for good and peaceful living as well as a guarantee of one’s soul in eternity with our lord and savior JESUS CHRIST. Sadly, many Nigerians both Christians and non-Christians alike are toying with their life hereafter despite the fact of the unambiguous revelations in the Bible.
I always pray that GOD would touch my fellow Nigerians so as to be mindful of their way of life and care more about their life hereafter, which is the ultimate. What would it profit a man to gain this world and lose his soul? GOD Forbid! That is why I have always been an admirer of Solomon in the Bible, who after being blessed by GOD both materially and intellectually more than any of GOD’s creation on earth surmised that everything on this earth is vanity upon vanity! EVERYTHING!!!
To the main issue that has been giving me sleepless night ever since it was reported on our dear esteemed, revealing and truthful SaharaReporters: The meeting of Venezuelan Ambassador with our dear Information Minister- Dr Dora Akunyili. To refresh the minds of our dear readers who read this article and those who did not read it, thanks to the deceitful and compromised Nigerian Press, here is the clip of the conversation: “The Minister of Information and Communications, Dora Akunyili, yesterday got more than she bargained for when Enerique Fernando Arrundell, the Venezuelan Ambassador to Nigeria, used the opportunity of his visit to her office to tell Nigerians some hard lessons on how to manage, develop and utilize their God-given natural resources for the benefit and good of all.
The envoy, who was responding to an appeal by Mrs. Akunyili to help woo some of his country’s investors to come in and establish refineries under the federal government’s planned deregulation of the downstream sector of the nation’s petroleum industry, advised Nigeria to rather look inwards and to take full control of the industry.
Though, he acknowledged Venezuela as a prominent member of the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) like Nigeria, he said his country will be willing to collaborate with the federal government to develop the industry.
Mr. Arrundell said, “In Venezuela, since 1999, we’ve never had a raise in fuel price. We only pay $1.02 to fill the tank. What I pay for with N12,000 here (Nigeria), in Venezuela I’ll pay N400. What is happening is simple. Our President (Hugo Chavez) decided one day to control the industry, because it belongs to the Venezuelans. If you don’t control the industry, your development will be in the hands of the foreigners.
You have to have your own country. The oil is your country’s. Sorry I am telling you this. I am giving you the experience of Venezuela. We have 12 refineries in the United States, 18,000 gas stations in the West Coast. All we are doing is in the hands of the Venezuelans.”
The envoy said, “Before 1999, we had three or four foreign companies working with us. That time they were taking 80 per cent, and giving us 20. Now, we have 90 per cent, and giving them 10. But now, we have 22 countries working with us in that condition.
It is the Venezuelan condition. You know why? It is because 60 per cent of the income goes to social programmes. That’s why we have 22,000 medical doctors assisting the people in the community. The people don’t go to the hospital; doctors go to their houses. This is because the money is handled by the Venezuelans. How come Nigeria that has more technical manpower than Venezuela, with 150 million people, and very intellectual people all around, not been able to get it right? The question is: If you are not handling your resources, how are you going to handle the country?
“So, it is important that Nigeria takes control of her resources. We have no illiterate people. We have over 17 new universities totally free. I graduated from the university without paying one cent, and take three meals every day, because we have the resources. We want the resources of the Nigerian people for the Nigerians. It is enough! It is enough, Minister!”
It is indeed very sad and inconceivable that this important interaction should be suppressed by Nigerian press led by the holier-than-thou Information Minister- Dr Dora. I weep for this country especially for my sister Dora who has steadily destroyed all her built credibility in this current ministerial role of which I forewarned her not to take this appointment but Satan got the better part of her and now she has derailed badly. I can imagine what happened after the Honorable Ambassador made this statement in the full glare of the Nigerian Press. Dora must have called them aside for special briefing, chided them on the need to support the present regime and the current deregulation plans and the 7-point agenda of the president as well as the vision 20 2020 (which I believe has hit the rocks because of the ill-health of the president) bla bla bla!!! She must have given them fat envelopes so as to kill this story as sadly, none of the Nigerian Newspapers or media houses reported this frank meeting but thank GOD that their deceit has found them out and the whole truthful episode exposed in SR.
To say that Nigerian press is highly compromised is no news to discerning minds but little did they know that the wages of sin is death. They have joined forces with the highly corrupt political class of today who have already sold their soul to the devil all in the name of acquiring wealth and spilling innocent blood at random; who without bathing an eyelid would eargerly stab them at the backs as have always been the case. The trail of unresolved murders of some journalists and other Nigerians readily confirm my assertions. This sincere and honest interaction between the Nigerian Venezuelan Ambassador and Dr Dora Akunyili would have formed a big platform for any meaningful and truthful discussion geared towards any reform in petroleum sector even better than the proposed deregulation. It would have made headlines over many days, across many Newspapers and constantly discussed among experts drawn across all sectors in the press as not many Nigerians are privy to this kind of privileged information about what is happening in other Oil producing countries. Regrettably, the wicked cabal who our sickly president Yar'adua identified as having hijacked the oil sector but unfortunately is too sick and weak to take action against them cannot claim not to have any idea what is obtainable in Venezuela and other OPEC countries. With all the experience of Rilwan Lukman, Adion Ajumogobia and other captains of our petroleum industry, they cannot honestly pretend not to be aware of what is obtainable in other OPEC nations but instead deep-necked in crass corruption and nepotism, aiding and abating the cabals as their godfathers and benefactors hence the unwillingness of Yar'adua and family, who are first class beneficiaries of such illicit lucre, to put an end to their nefarious activities to the detriment of we hapless Nigerians. The much-touted license for the establishment of private refineries like that of Orient Refinery championed by our own Dr Emeka Anyaoku as well as other well-meaning Nigerians and states angling to initiate private refineries in various locations in Nigeria which was honestly meant to provide massive employment were thwarted by these same cabals.
Now that we know the cabals Yar'adua has been hiding from us, the NLC, PENGASSAN, NUPENG, NANS and all well-meaning Nigerians should call for their immediate resignation as they are misrepresenting us so as to enthrone patriotic Nigerians to steer the much-needed Petroleum reform that would benefit all Nigerians not only in new and affordable petroleum prizing regime but in other areas as Health, Education, Welfare etc as obtainable in other OPEC countries. It is high time that we take on this greedy bunch of few who are playing with our present and future by taking drastic action to liberate ourselves. Everyone who truly craves for a deserved rest at the bosom of our lord JESUS CHRIST should stand up for the truth as only the truth shall set us free.
Remember that the Bible says that we should not envy evil, wicked and corrupt men when they prosper in their ways as their ends would surely be tragic! After all, everything about the so-called good life on earth is all but plain vanity!! We all know that the present Nigerian press has abandoned us to our faith but let us match on without them as in due time, I believe that GOD would touch them to repent because our GOD loves them so much and would not want them to end in eternal condemnation in Hell!
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Engr Chigbogu C.
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