Jude Maduka (NAGAFF chair, Tin Can Island Port)
This is a masked deregulation. The government used it as plan B when the plan to deregulate was in dire contest. Mind you, there has been tax on petroleum from former President Obasanjo’s regime.
If you remember, the breakdown during the increment, N1.50k was for tax.
Godswill Ebere (Oil marketer)
We have had this scenario before during the regime of former president Olusegun Obasanjo, he increased the pump price and based it on the need to maintain the road, the second time he did it he said it was to boost education, he has always been increasing it and based it on one thing or the other, the question now is why must everything be taxed from the petrol? The fuel is the only thing we have, we don’t have good power supply, no good living condition for the masses and yet the only thing we have they keep taxing on it.
Personally I think everything bores down to corruption and the game plan of some set cabal in government, it is just the same as increasing the pump price just like Obasanjo did but they are trying to deceive us with semantics, either the masses are paying directly or indirectly, it is same as increasing pump price so oil tax is just another imposition that should not be allowed.
Kalu Dike (Interim chair, PTML NAGAFF)
I don’t think it is done anywhere, that the federal government should collect oil tax because they want to build the road which I believe must have been included in the federal government budget, I think we have overgrown all these kinds of policies in this country, what we have in the budget should be enough to take care of road constructions.
However, in a layman’s view one will want to believe it is okay to have the toll gate collection, that unlike the oil tax is still okay because tax payers money should be felt and not only to be seen, whatever it is that is to be done to keep the roads in shape should be done since it will have effect on human life in the sense that you will spend less hours on the road due to less traffic, it will also increase the life span of vehicles. So to me oil tax is definitely out of the question but the toll collection is a welcome idea for the road management authority to generate their needed revenue for our roads to be constructed and maintained.
Tunde Salami (Teacher)
You will agree with me that our roads are very bad presently and there is need to ensure that they are reconstructed and maintained, I am not after the source from which they will generate the revenue to do it, after all we have been having increase in pump price in the past years and yet we don’t see the effects on the economy, we only shout and complain but government still go ahead to do what they want, don’t be surprised that the house might sign the proposal into law and so be it.
what I am clamouring for is to let them collect their revenue if it will give us good roads and we will see the effect, since they have said it be done by way of indirect paying it simply means it is not double taxation, I think its okay.
Olu Olasore (Gemtrade Int’l Limited)
The idea is definitely going to increase the cost of production if eventually passed into law, someone who bought a litre of fuel for N75 will as a result of that increase the price of his product, having said that we all know that the roads are very bad and they need fixing, but I think there are other ways it can be done rather than putting more pressure on the economy through the oil, they should think of having a public-private initiative where the roads will be constructed in conjunction with the private sector and the private investors will recoup their money over the years, this is more better and reasonable that taxing people and thereby putting another burden on the masses.
Personally I don’t think anything works in this country, even if they increase the pump to a 100naira or 200naira it will make no difference as far as it is the government that is in charge of it, I believe there is a purpose for introducing the value added tax (VAT) but do we benefit from it today? No, nobody can even say how the money is being spent, government should think of how to reduce the burden on the citizenry and not to compound it through these unnecessary levies and policies.
Godfrey Okorie (Depot Manager)
To me the introduction of oil tax or whatever they call it; does not make sense, God has blessed this country with lots of natural resources, we have everything to make Nigeria a better place but the problem is that we have square pegs in round pits and it will not work, if FERMA cannot maintain the roads, let them concession it out to people, it can be segmented based on the design the government have in mind, this is the only way that the roads can last longer because the concessionaires will want to recoup their money over a set period, so the oil tax issue should not come in at all because all the while that they have been collecting the said toll gate we can not pinpoint any achievement from it, rather the roads went from bad to worst.
Eugene Nweke (National President, NAGAFF)
It is uncalled for. It is absolutely unnecessary because the decision will further pauperize the people.
I don’t know why the government will always add to people’s problems through unnecessary and multiple taxation. The policy should be resisted.
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