By Princewill Kingston
It is no longer news that Nigerians are railing, cursing and getting angrier by the day over unparalleled hardship which has dramatically taken another dimension since the current administration came on board on May 29, 2023.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his team seem to have lost grip of the economy and security of the giant of Africa. The Situation is compounded by the floating of the Naira leading to high cost of goods and services without any significant change in the income of an average Nigerian.
From May 29, 2023 when the President announced the removal of fuel subsidy without any form of consultation or potential remedial alternative, the country has not been the same. Prices of goods and services have skyrocketed to an annoying level.
Some months ago, for instance, a man, whose name was given as Yusuf, from Koki, Dala local government area of Kano State, reportedly gave as collateral his five years old son, Ibrahim, for a bag of 50-kilogram rice. It is as bad as that.
Having a three-square meal in Nigeria today has become a luxury which should not even be contemplated.
Lending his voice, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, former military Head of State, penultimate week, called on the federal government to take a critical look at the condition of living of Nigerians.
Speaking in his country home, Minna, Niger State when he received the leadership of the Campaign for Democracy and Human Rights who paid him a courtesy visit, Gen Abubakar said “the hardship in the land is getting out of control.
“Everybody is crying and it seems to be getting out of control, people cannot afford three square meals, the issue of transportation, the hike in fuel, the hike in school fees for the children and the lack of funds in everybody’s pocket is making life difficult for everybody.
“We will continue to encourage the government to introduce measures to soften the hardship. The federal, states and local governments should see how they can cushion this economic hardship”.
Corroborating, Edet-Honesty Effiong, a Lagos-based analyst, said ‘Today, no one can deny the fact that Nigeria is crumbling under extreme yoke of hardship and insecurity. There’s virtually no region or zone which is spared the orgy of needless and senseless blood-letting on a daily basis.
“It has become increasingly very dangerous to travel either by road or rail to any state in this country. From Boko Haram insurgency in the North East to banditry in the North West.
“The hydra-headed herders/farmers conflicts in the Middle Belt, unknown gunmanism in the South East, gangsterism in the Niger – Delta region, plus kidnapping and ritual killing across the nation.
“The combined effect of all these have made life extremely unbearable for the citizens, impacting negatively on commerce, tourism, farming, food security and investment, with concomitant result in large-scale unemployment, food price inflation, poverty and general hardship. Yet, security and welfare of citizens are the primary purpose of the government!
“There’s no reason to doubt that Nigeria, today, is terribly unstable socio-politically. Our economy is comatose.
“For ten days in August this year, Nigeria saw a nationwide protest that threatened its sovereignty over economic hardship and hunger. And there’s a new threat for another one as announced by ‘Take It Back Nigeria Group’
Nigeria is increasingly becoming a big joke, and a very bad dream every passing day. Tension is palpable.”
With this scenario, the questions on the lips of every Nigerian had been: Where are the Apostles of the Renewed Hope mantra? Can’t they proffer solutions to the nightmarish experiences of Nigerian people?
Speaking over the unfolding dilemma, another commentator on national issues, Comrade Eyo Asuquo said: “Which renewed hope are you talking about? it was dead on arrival because the campaigners were not sincere. They were interested in their pocket.
Which hope have they renewed or are they not dashing hopes of Nigerians? Bola Tinubu may have done well in Lagos at a youthful age but managing Nigeria at this old age is complex.
“The renewed hope has metamorphosed into renewed hardship. The administration misfired from day one when the removal of fuel was announced without any form of preparation and no alternative.
“The solution is for the federal government to bring back the subsidy and bring on board technocrats to manage the situation.”
However, the federal government has said the fuel removal policy was for the best interest of the Nigerian people as it was seeking to frustrate a cabal who feasted fat on the subsidy regime.
Speaking while addressing participants at the 22nd Joint Planning Board (JPB) and National Council on Development Planning (NCDP), the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, Nebeolisa Anako said the Federal Government was working round the clock to ease hardship in the country.
“The present administration is doing everything possible to address the hardship faced by Nigerians in the wake of economic reforms, which has resulted in the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Naira. These temporary challenges will be over with time.
“I, therefore, want to use this opportunity to urge you to use your esteemed positions to aggressively sensitize the Nigerian public on the long-term benefits of these policies,” he had told participants.
However, it is hoped that the much talked about positives of the fuel subsidy removal would translate to a drastic reduction in the nightmarish experiences of the Nigerian people, and until this becomes a reality, the people would continue to sing the Lords’s song in a strange land.
