By Sunday Ani
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, expressed concern over Nigerians’ indifferent attitude towards issues affecting their growth and well-being, even in the face of oppressive leadership.
He said despite the increasing hardship experienced by the vast majority of the people occasioned by the government’s unfriendly policies, Nigerians have repeatedly shown that they would rather smile in their suffering than confront and protest against the government.
“I don’t want us to reach a tipping point because the tipping point is a mirage. You would think people would never accept N500 per litre of petrol. They accepted over N1000 and they are going towards N2000 without anybody stopping them. We need to govern. That is the summary,” Adebayo stated.
“Any government that cannot help you find your missing cat or dog after a while won’t be able to find a missing child. After a while, they won’t be able to find a missing town. After a while, a community will go. Going to the Eagle’s Square to hold the Bible or Quran and say a few words, salute the police, and then disappear into the shadows doesn’t make you a government. The people must feel your presence if truly you are governing,” he said.
He said the continued scarcity and increase in fuel pump prices are ploys to perpetually pauperise Nigerians. He explained that the state-owned refineries are designed not to work because of the interest of a few whose livelihood is on the scarcity and increase in the price of the product.
“How many refineries are in Singapore? Go to the refinery market; with $2 billion to $3 billion, you will build a good refinery. People call bogus figures here because the government is involved and they try to syphon the money.
“The refinery is an old technology distillation. The refinery in the Gulf of Beirut has been there since 1900; the one in Pennsylvania was built in 1903, and they are still working. So, what is new about refineries?
“Talk to chemical engineers and ask them about the largest and most complex catalytic cracking unit. How much would it cost even if they had to get it designed from the beginning? So, don’t let us pretend that we don’t know that we have been captured, and our brothers and sisters in government who captured us want to squeeze us like oranges and squeeze the juice out of us, and probably discard us when there is nothing more. They want to remove economic participation,” he said.
On the proposed tax increase for the rich, especially those earning above N100 million, Adebayo said he would not mind the increase if the government would be responsive to its responsibilities. “After all, in Norway, it is higher than that. But I am spending billions, literally, to power my productive enterprises. You cannot pauperise us, take all the taxes, and still not be responsible for anything,” he protested.
Continuing, he said: “I, Adewole Adebayo, government, come and tax me. I am ready to pay 50 percent of my income in taxes. I don’t mind.
“Anybody who tells you that we should remove subsidy from an underdeveloped economy where productivity is low had F9 in economics. In China, with $10,000, you can have a factory. All you need to do is to demonstrate to the city or the government there that you are producing this particular product. If they see the production plan, they will give you a factory on credit, and you start paying back. That is not available here in Nigeria. What is the incentive for productivity in Nigeria? Nothing,” he stated.
He condemned the idea of the government giving tax incentives to companies and advised that it was better to collect the due taxes than give tax holidays and incentives. He maintained that it was a ploy to steal the unavailable funds in the country. “It is one of the ways through which they steal our money. Somebody will do 100 kilometres of poorly done cement road, very narrow and not standardised, and they will give the person billions of aira on the same road that can be done by the local government. Just collect your taxes,” he stated.