When the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), and his aides talk about the success they have had since governing Nigeria, I marvel.

Most of the time, these claims are based on the infrastructural projects of the administration. True, it is impossible to dismiss the accomplishments of the Buhari administration on this front, but we should ask questions about how much they affect Nigerians.

Constructing roads, bridges, and other infrastructures should not be a source of pride. It is the least expected of any government. So, seeking a badge of honour over trite achievements not requiring much genius or courage is, with all due respect, ridiculous.

This is the very problem one finds with the administration’s triumphalist tendencies. While the government beats its chest over roads and bridges, millions of Nigerians are on the streets looking for premium motor spirit (petrol) for their vehicles and generating sets. Petrol is no longer only expensive—it costs as much as N300 per litre in some parts of the country—but it is also scarce!

Nigerians are having difficulties accessing petrol, a by-product of crude oil, of which the country has an abundant deposit. The country itself is almost on its knees over its inability to manage this resource.

For this reason, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited could not remit revenue into the federation account for months. They attribute this to the quantum of crude oil stolen from Nigeria, and the billions of naira the government pays as subsidy. Both of these eat up the country’s revenue and the capacity to invest for the rainy day. So, for most of its projects, the government has developed an unusual appetite for borrowing.

Yet things did not need to get to this point. Of course, decisions that change the fortunes of a country never come easy, but then, that is what leadership is about. Genuine leaders are made for tough times, and the conduct of leaders at these times determines the legacies of those who ride the storm well. Unlike developing infrastructure, decisions that will set Nigeria on the path of irreversible economic development demand the courage and genius of leaders. This is how Buhari keeps failing Nigerians.

When he became president in 2015, the need to remove the subsidy on petrol was almost as urgent as it is now. Buhari could have gotten away with murder, let alone removing subsidy, given the level of acceptance that accompanied his revolutionary victory in that year’s election.

Although there were no upcoming elections then, the President refused to take the bull by the horns despite counsel from experts. Smuggling, corruption, and other malfeasances inherent in the industry worsened because of this inaction, becoming a huge albatross for the country and its economy. Had he chosen to bell the cat then, Nigeria would not be spending trillions of naira subsidising the same products that her people cannot get at an affordable price.

The Petroleum Industry Act, 2021, signed by the President last year after it was first presented 13 years ago, was another opportunity to take this important step. But then, Buhari baulked under pressure and again suspended the implementation for 18 months! So, why sign the law?

People argue that the President’s inaction at the outset and this later recapitulation came from a place of compassion. According to such theories, Buhari reckoned that removing subsidy would add to the economic hardships Nigerians already faced. But does any transformative decision or government policy come without pain? A government only needs to be visionary and courageous enough to do what is right for the present and future of the country it governs. Removing subsidy will come with some pains, it is, therefore, dangerous to postpone it. Like an untreated sore that festers with time, the longer the government delays a decision, the more difficult it becomes for the people and the country.

Buhari’s refusal to take this decision is also curious because the scheme is a clear cesspool for the country’s resources. As Buhari used to say before he became President, the subsidy of petrol is a nebulous concept. It encourages so much discordance between stakeholders about the various operating cost elements in the value chain. For instance, between 2017 and now, daily consumption of petrol in Nigeria has grown from 40 million litres per day to anything between 66 million and 100 million litres, depending on who is giving the figures. No one knows for sure, yet, the sum of subsidy paid depends on the volume of consumption. It has, therefore, become an avenue for human termites to eat at national resources without repercussion.

The subsidy regime makes the pump price of petrol in Nigeria lower relative to what it entails in the sub-region; it is attractive to smuggle this product out of the country. So, many oil marketers and their drivers connive with security agents to take petrol meant for Nigerians out to sell in neighbouring countries at the existing market price.

Again, successive governments are aware of this criminal sabotage. The government also knows that a country facing this level of unpatriotic economic activities, born out of its own negligence of its citizens, has only one option; removing the incentives for the crime.

Now, if Nigerians do not expect this from any other person, they expect it from Buhari, who prides himself on being an anti-corruption crusader. Even the excuse of saving Nigerians from hardship is no longer tenable because of the dangers and torment that fuel scarcity exposes them to.

Therefore, unless the President has another reason for holding back on the immediate suspension of this subsidy regime, it is time to take that action once and for all.

Now, the question of this being an election year and how this decision might affect the chances of the President’s political party may come up. However, it is a catch-22 situation for Buhari and his party. The fuel scarcity biting at Nigerians is as injurious to the party’s electoral fortunes as the decision to end the subsidy reign of fraud.

However, there is a significant advantage for the president and his party in terminating the subsidy. Public expenditure in Nigeria will be within reason again; it will eliminate a column of public corruption, provide more funds to spend on education, health, and other important issues, and register the name of Buhari and his party in gold. Neither the immediate gratification of winning an election nor the fear of citizens’ protestations should hold a government back from introducing a visionary policy. All that the government needs is to communicate effectively with stakeholders and ensure the judicious use of the accruing revenue.

The full and immediate implementation of the PIA, including the removal of the petrol subsidy, may not be the silver bullet for Nigeria’s economic woes. However, it is a grand opportunity for Buhari to register his name in gold. True, it is not an easy decision, but those who desire their names in gold must be bold and put the future of the country ahead of all other interests.