The Way for Tinubu's Relevance
28 February 2024 By Abiodun Kareem Giwa
Is President Bola Tinubu serious about finding a solution to the biting economic situation in Nigeria? It is the question that emerged among observers with reported news that the president constituted an economic advisory panel comprising Tony Elumelu, Aliko Dangote, state governors, and others as members. None of the advisory members belong to the grassroots. These are people who do not know where the shoes pinch the people.
Where are the representatives of the workers' union, the students' union, market women's leaders, National Assembly leaders, and the armed forces representatives? Where are all the past leaders partly responsible for Nigeria's comatose? The solution to Nigeria's economic problem does not lie with business leaders. Aside from lacking grassroots representation, the government can handle the economic advisory panel work to ease people's conditions in a brutal economic climate.
Put yourself in an ordinary man's shoes in a place with over 400 percent inflation that makes any amount at hand useless. A bag of rice you bought last at N10,000 is now N75,000. It is the purchasing power that is eluding struggling Nigerians. Dialoguing with various sections of the populace is fine. What does the president intend to do in an emergency that makes hungry Nigerians desperate? We remember the days of the Adebo and Udoji awards that benefited some workers and caused more problems than resolved them. The Nigerian government must do something urgently that will positively affect the average Nigerian.
Now, the rich and the poor are crying. The rich crying means the poor's situation is beyond weeping, but something much more harrowing. Nothing can be as dangerous for people to see the money in hand as useless and can buy nothing. That is Nigeria's current amnesia. How leaders feel safe, go to bed, and close their eyes when people don't know when the next meal will come is beyond human comprehension. Or has Nigeria reached a stage when no solution is possible, and things go up in chaos?
The Chief of Army Staff was in the news last week. He said there was no power in the barracks, and human remains in the morgue had begun to rot. The Army owes over N90 billion for electricity. The same applies to Aso Rock and other government agencies. What management style causes government entities to be in debt and not respect paying their bills? Where is the sense of responsibility and accountability? Many observers say the lack of these two instruments is troubling the country. People aspire to leadership positions without a sense of responsibility and hate to be accountable.
Refrain from listening to complaints from hagglers seeking public office. The same will be the result if they assume power. It is the Nigerian story and experience. They capture power and turn their backs on society. They are lowly, pious, and humble before getting power. An average Nigerian wants money and fame, but its management to not constitute a nuisance to the community is none of their business. Education is no longer a source of service to the nation but a way of getting wealthy and tyrannical.
If the level of education is the judge of a country's wealth and kindness to the struggling masses, no Nigerian would be on a mountain of grievous economic life. A nation wallowing in petroleum resources cannot build habitable schools for its children and hospitals for the sick. The leaders send their children to schools abroad, and they also seek medical treatment beyond the borders. Ordinary people also junket abroad, seeking survival. There are cases of the children of the rich turning back from abroad because they lack survival strength.
Nigeria requires complete and significant cultural remodeling and transparency, requiring past leaders to surrender all stolen wealth and anything acquired accountable. It is one of the ways forward to end the culture of acquisition and ostentation masquerading the sources. That done, government leaders would know they are in office to care for people; the wealthy would realize they are not to terrorize ordinary people, and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians would be the concern of all. The government knows the economic strangulation Nigerians face. The Senate president has blamed the immediate past administration.
The president is calling business leaders to discuss the problem and the solution. He has formed a panel. Doesn't it manifest you know there is a problem, but the will for a solution needs to be improved? Why did not the same problem stop the purchase of vehicles for National Assembly members or affect their allowances? Must the commoner continue to bear the burden for Nigeria? Why cannot the government make N2m, around $2000, for every needy Nigerian to survive a hard time while the government seeks ways to correct the anomalies in the economy? Would such a decision not silence protests and opposition leaders learn from the president's kindness?
Where are the representatives of the workers' union, the students' union, market women's leaders, National Assembly leaders, and the armed forces representatives? Where are all the past leaders partly responsible for Nigeria's comatose? The solution to Nigeria's economic problem does not lie with business leaders. Aside from lacking grassroots representation, the government can handle the economic advisory panel work to ease people's conditions in a brutal economic climate.
Put yourself in an ordinary man's shoes in a place with over 400 percent inflation that makes any amount at hand useless. A bag of rice you bought last at N10,000 is now N75,000. It is the purchasing power that is eluding struggling Nigerians. Dialoguing with various sections of the populace is fine. What does the president intend to do in an emergency that makes hungry Nigerians desperate? We remember the days of the Adebo and Udoji awards that benefited some workers and caused more problems than resolved them. The Nigerian government must do something urgently that will positively affect the average Nigerian.
Now, the rich and the poor are crying. The rich crying means the poor's situation is beyond weeping, but something much more harrowing. Nothing can be as dangerous for people to see the money in hand as useless and can buy nothing. That is Nigeria's current amnesia. How leaders feel safe, go to bed, and close their eyes when people don't know when the next meal will come is beyond human comprehension. Or has Nigeria reached a stage when no solution is possible, and things go up in chaos?
The Chief of Army Staff was in the news last week. He said there was no power in the barracks, and human remains in the morgue had begun to rot. The Army owes over N90 billion for electricity. The same applies to Aso Rock and other government agencies. What management style causes government entities to be in debt and not respect paying their bills? Where is the sense of responsibility and accountability? Many observers say the lack of these two instruments is troubling the country. People aspire to leadership positions without a sense of responsibility and hate to be accountable.
Refrain from listening to complaints from hagglers seeking public office. The same will be the result if they assume power. It is the Nigerian story and experience. They capture power and turn their backs on society. They are lowly, pious, and humble before getting power. An average Nigerian wants money and fame, but its management to not constitute a nuisance to the community is none of their business. Education is no longer a source of service to the nation but a way of getting wealthy and tyrannical.
If the level of education is the judge of a country's wealth and kindness to the struggling masses, no Nigerian would be on a mountain of grievous economic life. A nation wallowing in petroleum resources cannot build habitable schools for its children and hospitals for the sick. The leaders send their children to schools abroad, and they also seek medical treatment beyond the borders. Ordinary people also junket abroad, seeking survival. There are cases of the children of the rich turning back from abroad because they lack survival strength.
Nigeria requires complete and significant cultural remodeling and transparency, requiring past leaders to surrender all stolen wealth and anything acquired accountable. It is one of the ways forward to end the culture of acquisition and ostentation masquerading the sources. That done, government leaders would know they are in office to care for people; the wealthy would realize they are not to terrorize ordinary people, and the welfare of ordinary Nigerians would be the concern of all. The government knows the economic strangulation Nigerians face. The Senate president has blamed the immediate past administration.
The president is calling business leaders to discuss the problem and the solution. He has formed a panel. Doesn't it manifest you know there is a problem, but the will for a solution needs to be improved? Why did not the same problem stop the purchase of vehicles for National Assembly members or affect their allowances? Must the commoner continue to bear the burden for Nigeria? Why cannot the government make N2m, around $2000, for every needy Nigerian to survive a hard time while the government seeks ways to correct the anomalies in the economy? Would such a decision not silence protests and opposition leaders learn from the president's kindness?
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