In this interview with journalists, former Chairman of Nigeria Governors' Forum and Senator representing Kwara Central, Dr. Bukola Saraki, bares his mind on national issues, including the fuel subsidy. 

You moved the motion on the management of fuel subsidy, which unravelled lack of transparency in the sector. What informed your decision to move the motion?

The figures coming out on fuel subsidy were too alarming to ignore. It was either one kept quiet or spoke up, knowing full well that speaking up might be misread. My fear about the fuel subsidy was that it was likely to endanger the entire economy. If it was just about mismanagement or corruption in the petroleum sector or just petroleum sector issue, maybe I might have even passed it on to others to say 'look address this issue'. But as I researched my motion, I found out that it was going to make the budget not fully implementable. It was going to increase budget deficit. It was suffocating the other sectors of the economy. Seeing those dangers, it was clear to me that we could not just leave this to the NNPC (Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation) or the Ministry of Petroleum or that we should not talk about it because of some "untouchables." It was clear to me that something had to be done.

There is this belief that you moved the motion because you had issues with some people in the petroleum sector or in the executive.

I do not have issues with anyone. It was, and still is, about doing what is right for our country. I am a right-of-the-centre person — so I have no problem with people doing their business legitimately. But we have to insist on doing things properly. I moved this motion because I believe the management of the subsidy programme was endangering the economy. It also had implications for legislative oversight, integrity of the budget, the practice of federalism, and the capacity of the executive to achieve the transformation agenda.

Did you foresee the subsidy issue would go the way it went when you moved the motion?

No one could have foreseen the turns that things have taken. My intention was for the Senate to look into this issue and see how we can improve on the management of the subsidy scheme. But now it has gone viral, as they say, and everybody is talking about it in a way one never imagined. But I think there is a lesson to be learnt from that by all of us in government. The lesson is that Nigerians are now more interested in how their government is run at all levels. When you have a populace with that kind of interest, then we all need to step up. It will be difficult to get away with what we used to get away with in the past. I also think it was a wake-up call for all of us. You could say it is because it is fuel subsidy, but I bet you if it were to be some other issues, Nigerians will show the same interest, even though it might not be as high as this. So the message out there is whether you are a councillor, a commissioner, a governor or a senator, we all need to ensure that we do things properly because the Nigeria of now is not the Nigeria of the past.

Don't you think those who are likely to lose out or be embarrassed by the outcome of your motion may fight back?

As I said before, it is something that needed to be done. I have lost some friends in the process. I have friends who are not happy that I moved that motion. But maybe that is part of the sacrifice we need to make to get things done properly. I believe that after this exercise, even for the period the subsidy will remain, it will be better managed. If we save billions of naira and free up resources for development, that will be better for all of us. Definitely I know some people are not happy and they blame everything on "this Saraki motion". But the interest of the greater number is being served.

Are you concerned that people may tell the President to come after you?

I don't think so. Also, I don't think the President sees it in that manner. That is my thinking because I have had the opportunity to discuss with him since then. Getting things done properly will further help his transformation agenda. Besides, I do not think the President is against the quest for transparency and better management of resources. We can see that from his actions. One of such actions is his directive that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission should investigate the management of fuel subsidy. That says a lot and definitely shows that we are on the same page on this matter.

You are also the chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology. Some people are concerned that the recent oil spill in Bonga was not given the same kind of attention as the one that happened in the Gulf of Mexico in the United States.

First of all, I think one of the problems we have had in the past is that we have not taken some of these things seriously. We have shown extreme laxity in some of our guidelines and regulatory responsibilities. I have made it clear that it can't be and won't be business as usual in this sector. Whoever I have to take on in doing that, so be it. Our weakness has always been having standards that are consistently applied.