Sincerely speaking, our present crop of leaders think that we are incapable of reasoning. But they are wrong. Nigeria parades some of the most intelligent people in the world. Some of the leading names in global medicine, pharmaceuticals, law, accounting, journalism, sports, name them, are Nigerians. See them flying the country’s flag higher in another man’s land except theirs. Have our leaders for once, spared a thought or bothered to ask the question: why Nigerians do far better in their chosen field of human endeavour, once they leave the shores of this country? Nigerians are smart and intelligent people. We cannot easily be swayed by tales with nothing to show. We are not given to rhetorics but action.
“Action” they say, “speaks louder than words.” Mr. Tinubu, if Nigerians, were not hungry, they wouldn’t have been on the streets protesting. No sane person would do it. We have never had it this bad. Do you want to read the truth? It’s even worse in the early part of your administration. Let’s see what the later part holds. But does the morning not determine the direction of the day?
In this your administration, the hardship and hunger started from day one. Yes! That day, precisely, 29th May, 2023, when you mounted the rostrum and declared: “Subsidy is gone” without putting in place remedial measures to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal. It wasn’t only fuel. Later, electricity subsidy removal followed. Let’s wait and see what history will say of you.
Back to President Bola Tinubu’s early Sunday morning broadcast. I heard him! I read him! I watched him! Let me commend him for addressing the nation at this critical time. Rightly, it shows that he is alive and may be later, responsible to the yearnings of the people. But it sounded to me as another episode of tales by moonlight. You will see my reasons as we progress.
Tinubu in one of the lines in his address remarked: “I have heard you loud and clear.” I doubt if the president heard the protesters loud and clear. If he did, he would have addressed their grievances in his broadcast. Did he? He didn’t! The demands of end bad governance protesters are simple and clear.
Oga President, first, the protesters are demanding a cut in the size of government and they want you to reduce the costs of governance too. They want you to live the sacrifice you preach. As Paul Wellstone stated: “Never separate the life you live from the words you speak.” That is exactly what the Nigerian masses expect of you. Is that too much to ask for? At a time of lean resources and economic hardship in the land, your government parades a total number of 48 ministers, the highest in the history of our nation. What a bloated structure! Again, you have added a Ministry of Livestock Development to the list. Doesn’t that seem to you a duplication of offices and functions? There are also a retinue of aides attached to both your personal and presidential life. In June this year, the official residence of the Vice President, Kashim Shettima gulped the sum of 21 billion naira. Incredible!
Shortly after you assumed office, the sum of 70 Billion naira was approved for the purchase of SUV’s for National Assembly members at the cost of 160 million naira each, 4 Billion naira to renovate Dodan Barracks, 3 Billion to renovate Aguda house, 1.5 Billion naira to purchase cars for your wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, regardless of the fact that the office of the First Lady is not recognised by the present constitution of our country. I could go on and on.
When the youths of Kenya took to the streets to protest against the harsh policies of Kenyan President William Ruto last month, he responded with a pragmatic dissolution of 47 state corporations, a 50% reduction in the number of government advisers, suspension of non-essential travel by public office bearers and very impressively, the removal of budget lines for the president and deputy president’s spouses. That’s your counterpart. You can do same. Heavens won’t fall.
Most importantly, the protesters want you to address the soaring prices of food stuffs in the land. The bullet point number 29 on your address where you claimed you have directed the removal of tarrifs and other import duties on rice, wheat, maize, sorghum, drugs, and other pharmaceutical and medical supplies for the next 6 months to help drive down the prices, is only but a mirage. A cup of local rice is still sold at N450 and the foreign type at N500 and above, in some parts of Nigeria. There is hardly anywhere you can find a bag of rice for less that N70,000, which is the new national minimum wage, you have gladly and proudly pass into law.
You did not even say a word about our refineries. The protesters want a reduction in the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (fuel). Why is Dangote refinery yet to receive crude from NNPC? Nigerians aren’t asking for too much. Give them this day, fuel at affordable prices. Also, see to the reduction in the prices of food stuffs. They aren’t even interested in the pallatives you and only the Governors know about. Nigerians want to buy the rice with their money. All they want, is for you to make the prices affordable. Open up the borders to crash the outrageous prices of rice and other edibles. Why shut the borders in the first place, when local production isn’t enough for local consumption? Poor Economics!
Your address posited that your administration has embarked on major infrastructure projects across the country including the Lagos-Calabar coastal and Sokoto-Badagry highway projects. Why the haste in attempting ambitious projects when there many uncompleted ones littered everywhere including Calabar-Itu highway?
On your Bullet point 15, you claimed that “investors are coming back.” Where are they? I have been asking if such investors are going to Malta or returning to Nigeria, you and I live. President Tinubu, under your watch, several big companies have left. GlaxoSmithKline left! Equinor left! Sanofi left! Procter & Gamble left! Bolt Food and Jumia Food left! Pz Cussons left! Microsoft left! Kimberly-Clark left! I could go on & on but for space and boredom.
From the aforegoing, I doubt if the economy is in the path of recovery as you do claim. There’s nothing to back-up this claim. Perhaps, it is only you and your cabinet members who see and feel it. Until we do, we, not you, will testify.
Anthony Ekpo Bassey, PhD, is a Calabar-based Journalist and Public Affairs analyst.
