President Bola Tinubu
For the third consecutive year, Nigerians are counting down to Christmas without the familiar anxiety of fuel scarcity — a development that supporters of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu say is worth celebrating.
With exactly ten days to Christmas, petrol is readily available across the country, selling for under ₦900 per litre. For many Nigerians, this marks a sharp departure from the painful December experiences of the past, when long queues, sleepless nights at filling stations and soaring black-market prices defined the festive season.
Reno Omokri, a former presidential aide and ambassadorial nominee, said the consistency of fuel availability under the Tinubu administration is unprecedented.
“Again, for the third December under President Tinubu, there is no fuel scarcity in Nigeria, and the price of petrol has reduced. This has never occurred under any previous administration.” He said.
Omokri acknowledged that some critics dismiss fuel availability as a basic expectation of government but argued that basic necessities still deserve recognition when they are finally delivered.
“I quite agree. But oxygen is also a basic thing. That something is rudimentary does not mean it cannot be celebratory.” He said.
Recalling past Decembers, he painted a vivid picture of hardship many Nigerians know too well.
“Our people would be in queues at fuel stations, many of them sleeping overnight. Others would be there with Jerry cans. And then the media would report on stories of people’s homes being burnt because of petrol stirred in such containers.” He said.
According to him, those unable to endure the queues often turned to black-market fuel, sometimes with devastating consequences.
“Others who were not stormy enough to wait in line at fuel stations would buy black-market gasoline, and inevitably, there would be news bulletins about blown or knocked-out engines and exploding generators.”
Omokri insists those days are now behind the country.
“Well, all that is in the past. Or, am I lying?”
He urged Nigerians not to downplay the impact of incremental improvements on daily life.
“Let us not underestimate the big difference small improvements make!”
He also questioned the consistency of critics who once condemned previous administrations over fuel scarcity but now dismiss progress when conditions improve.
“If the availability of petrol and the reduction in its price were not such an important issue, why did these same people who pilloried me when I highlighted the issue also complain under previous governments when there was both petrol scarcity and a price hike in fuel in previous Decembers?”
Calling for a more balanced national attitude, Omokri appealed for recognition of positive developments.
“As a people, let us learn to appreciate progress. We should not wait until Nigeria builds a rocket that lands on the moon before we pat our country on the back.”
He added: “If we complain when things go badly, then we should also commend when they operate well or even better than we expected.”
Sharing a personal moment, Omokri praised the President while refuelling in Abuja.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as I drive into a petrol station in Abuja to buy fuel at a discounted price, I commend you for your policies that have turned Nigeria from the biggest fuel importer in Africa to the largest exporter of the same product in West Africa.”
He concluded with a direct message to critics of his praise.
“And for those who will lampoon me for praising the President for this achievement, please, first of all, conduct an AI search of your digital footprint. If in previous Decembers you ever posted a comment attacking the government for petrol scarcity and the unaffordability of the product, then search yourself and ask if you genuinely have the moral authority to censure me!”, he said
