Gbenga Onabamiro
The revelation that every litre of fuel carries a hidden ₦1.18 levy, not by government, but by NUPENG’s cartel, is an unpardonable crime against the Nigerian masses. It is daylight robbery with a smiling face, an exploitation disguised as representation.
For too long, we have been conditioned to see government as the singular architect of our suffering. Yet, here lies the bitter truth: our greatest enemies often wear the mask of friends. The unions that parade themselves as defenders of the people have now turned into merchants of misery, siphoning from the very pockets of the struggling poor.
Morally, it is a betrayal of trust. Psychologically, it is poison to the national spirit. How can a nation rise when those entrusted with its protection are quietly digging its grave? Every hidden deduction is not just a tax on fuel; it is a tax on hope, on progress, on the dignity of ordinary Nigerians who queue under the hot sun for a few litres of survival.
This is why Nigeria’s wheel of progress often sinks in the same muddy pit: because the chains are not only forged in Abuja, but also in the quiet boardrooms of unions and cartels feeding fat on the people’s sweat. The shepherd has become the wolf, and the sheep are too distracted blaming the government to notice who is truly devouring them.
The masses must wake up. We must shine the same light we use to scrutinize government upon our unions, our associations, and our own collective complacency. Until then, cartels will continue to thrive, not because they are powerful, but because we remain blind.
Nigeria’s freedom will not come by merely pointing fingers at government; it will come when we uproot the betrayal within our own camp.
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