Some of our politicians must be sick and sick in the head. Poor Nigerians aren’t asking to fly in private jets as some politicians seamlessly do. They aren’t asking to live in their kind of magnificent edifices. They aren’t even asking to drive in their kind of luxurious cars. Poor Nigerians aren’t competing with those crook politicians to send their children to train at Ivy League schools abroad. Poor Nigerians aren’t even asking for a parade of armed security men for protection because they haven’t money they have stolen to impose kidnap value on themselves.
For crying out loud, poor Nigerians need good roads to enable them to ply their trades. They need a stable power supply to boost their respective endeavours. They need well-equipped public schools and hospitals to cater for their desired quality education and health needs. They need access to their farms and businesses without fear of being kidnapped or killed. Can’t the same government that imposes taxes provide security for them?
Ultimately, they need a crash in the prices of foodstuffs. Why not, in reality, open the borders albeit temporarily to crash the prices of foodstuffs imposed on them by local manufacturers? Why shut down the borders in the first place when local production isn’t sufficient for local consumption? Didn’t microeconomics teach us that scarcity breeds monopoly and monopolists impose outrageous prices on scarce products and services? They intentionally do so because either they or their cronies own some of those means of production. So, they run the economy in favour of themselves, their families and their friends.
What kind of leaders do we have in this country called Nigeria? In their cruelty, they impose heavy taxes on Nigerians to pay, even in an environment laden with a stagnant economy, kidnapping for ransoms and even killings in worse-case scenarios.
What is the common man in Nigeria benefitting from the government? Can someone mention ONLY one? Is it low cost of Premium Motor Spirit (fuel)? Is it an affordable electricity tariff? Is it access to basic healthcare or education? Is it a good living wage that can at least purchase a bag of rice?
Ridiculously, the so-called leaders who preach the fake gospel of sacrifice to the masses, are themselves not sacrificing. It is obvious in their lifestyles and arrant display of wealth by them, their aides and family members.
Those who expect the masses to shut up will, one day, shut down. Do you know why? Nature abhors imbalance. Again, a hungry man is an angry man. When you push someone to the wall and the wall becomes impenetrable, such a person must bounce back.
Nonetheless, no matter how bad the situation may be, I call on fellow compatriots not to destroy public property, no matter the level of provocation. I plead with them to resist the temptation of being violent and should apply restraint and caution in the exercise of their fundamental right to protest and peaceful assembly.
I feel for our security officers who bear the brunt of the provocations by the masses and suffer the sins of our cruel leaders at times like these in our country. May God grant them the protection they need at this time and the wisdom to handle matters with discretion and professionalism, when they arise. They, too, feel the pains of the economic hardship occasioned by poor policies of our so-called leaders at the expense of the masses, but in their favour; hence, they live large while the poor masses suffer want and go hungry. Some of our security men attached to those politicians tell tales of woes. But that is a story for another day.
It is our prayer and hope that a time will come when the government and governed in Nigeria will think almost alike.
At the end of it all, Nigeria’s ours and Nigeria we serve.
Anthony Ekpo Bassey, PhD, is a Calabar-based Journalist & public affairs analyst
