AmanaOnline

The Agonizing experiences Nigerians are enduring are now well placed in the laps of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Fortunately there has never been any civilian Nigerian President more qualified, better prepared or intellectually more gifted than President Tinubu! He has accurately illustrated the numerous issues and quandaries facing us as a nation. A nation that is correctly classified as under-developing by many pundits. He has also enthusiastically embarked upon the onerous task of providing solutions.

The average Nigerian has made it clear, that things always change, but it must change for the better. The poor and the middle class have all indicated that the changes must come quickly. As far as how far we’ve come (or gone backwards), here is a snapshot for you. Feel free to adjust the numbers or correct the arithmetic.

In the early 1980s, a civil servant on grade level 06 was paid about 160 Naira (1980 exchange value = $256 Dollars) per month. Today, the same grade level 06 receives about 100,000 Naira per month (today’s exchange rate = $100 Dollars). A true living wage for that same civil servant should be about N250,000 ($250) per month. Needless to say, Tinubu is not to blame for this predicament. His efforts to correct the sails of our wayward ship must be accompanied by the requisite sacrifices by all.

Sixty (60) percent of our purchasing power has disappeared into thin air and yet those at the top have conveniently lost their hearing. Our voices are loud, and they are clear. Either our leaders make changes for the good now and make them quickly, or irreversible events will make the changes for them.

Consider the following descriptions –

• Corruption pervades the daily lives of Nigerians. Many government institutions (the Ministry of Power comes to mind) do not adequately engage with citizens or the private sector, plus they lack the capacity to carry out their obligations. Further, civil society lacks both the capacity and the resources to effectively engage with government and advocate for change.”
• While insurgency and ongoing criminal activities, often labeled as ‘banditry,’ continue to impact the northern regions, the Biafra separatist rebellion has been the cause of unrest in the south. So there is very little safe and peaceful Nigeria for all. The extreme economic torments have made criminal endeavours attractive for many.

It goes without debate that insecurity continues to restrict access to basic livelihood enterprises and services for all Nigerians, severely felt by the most vulnerable communities. Multiple security challenges exist and persists, notably the resilient Boko Haram in the northeast, discontent and militancy in the Niger Delta, increasing violence between herders and farmers across the land, and the separatist Biafra agitation in the southeast.

This is the prism through which the rest of the world views Nigeria, the need for us to effectively change many of these legitimate and some mistaken perception rest with us all as citizens. The situation is dire and unpredictable for Nigeria . It is therefore delusional for leaders to think they can take Nigeria and Nigerians for granted or fail to appreciate the gravity of the National dance on the brink!

We know without question that the most important thing we need from Tinubu is a sincere, capable, competent, and focused leadership. Events on both sides of our politics, plus the thinking in Abuja have underscored the inextricable need for reducing poverty, increasing security, and spreading the foundations of a democratic, rights-based, law abiding society.

Of course, there are Islands of good governance and true accountability in Nigeria today as we begin this difficult journey; Look at Lagos, Kaduna, Abia, and Borno states of today and you will see there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let our leaders learn from those who are leading the way on the fight against corruption.

There is no doubt that the military is not a police force. Their primary duty is to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria, and all within. Question is how much of what is within will be there for them to protect if our nation continues along this path, and at this rate? This is a war that is raging between the innocent and the criminal. This government has shown a focused and renewed vigor to listen and address the cries of the masses, it is now necessary for Tinubu to acknowledge policies that are failing to achieve the desired goals and make immediate corrections.

FUEL SUBSIDY (Still)

The sudden removal of the subsidy caused fuel prices to soar, and expectedly, other costs rose as companies passed on the now inflated transportation and energy costs to the consumer. The removal of the currency peg also proved painful to the lay Nigerian as the Naira plummeted and lost 70% of its value against the dollar. Surprisingly, we were just informed that Subsidy has been reintroduced. Question is how come we are not witnessing any easing of the high cost of goods and services?

Ultimately, Tinubu should not get disconnected from the problems of the people because of the sycophantic concoctions he may be fed daily. He should not get intoxicated and blinded by the demonic spell of sycophants. He must always keep in view the multitude of women and children struggling for food, or the long endless queues at the palliative distribution centers. He must adeptly avoid and chase out the infuriating laughter of sycophants and listen to the howling of the anguished mothers and fathers who cannot put three squares on their dining tables.

Tinubu must ensure that he is permanently immunized against the all-purpose elixir of sycophants. He should be careful not to be carried away by the sycophantic locusts, because it will be impossible for him to hear the despairing moaning of the poor and oppressed, across Nigerian towns and despondent villages. The Aso Villa is the perfect breeding ground for sycophants. Always has been. Most of Nigeria’s past presidents were victims!

Tinubu must see to it that he does not become a victim as well. The flatterers are the ones who hate to tell him the truth because he may grimace in sour anger. So they feed him with loads of lies.  They tell him that all is well with the society, that the people are happy, that he is the only suitable person to lead Nigeria, that he is indispensable, and that he is the messiah. We expect him to stand dogged against such sycophants and never become the foolish eunuch who believes the lies as sweet music to his ears.

Tinubu must also be told that the subsidy removal has been a foremost blunder and quickly sliding into a disaster. He must hear this daily until he finds a way to make corrections to the policy and the implementation. Nigerians are resilient – but ….

KOGI STATE. (Comment)

Nigerians burn deep inside with anger and frustration over the situation in the States. They cry with bloody tears over the realization that no one who is supposed to protect the weak and the poor, especially those constitutionally bound to do so, really cares or even fleetingly own up to the responsibility. Our politicians and most of the current leaders, in their most basic line of thought and their obtuse and warped understanding, consider the art of emptying the treasury for their personal needs as their honourable duty, achievement, and right!

There will be no need to rehash the shameful drama  that has become the fate of the people of Kogi State. It is a duty upon the President to protect all Nigerians and call the governor and the government of Kogi State to order immediately. Unless his silence means he doesn’t care about the people of Kogi state or the fight against corruption. Nobody is above the law, including the president, let alone a former Governor who thinks he owns a whole state of the federal republic of Nigeria! Enough is enough!

TID-BIT (How honest Nigerians End-up)

To retire comfortably at the age of 65, you need about N80 million in today’s purchasing power in your pension, retirement and investment accounts.

You should expect to live some 10 to 20 years more after retiring. And when you factor in the accumulated lifestyle taste you would have gotten used to over your active career, the maintenance cost for your family, your physical assets (cars and house), and desire to take a well-deserved trips occasionally, without having to wait for your children or grandchildren to sponsor it, you will need an income of about N4 million per year. Multiply N4 million per year by 20 years and you get the N80 million I propose. This is an impossible scenario for most Nigerians unless you were able to abuse your office and accumulate such wealth.

So while the government is busy building a great country by creating economic opportunities for our youths and start-up businesses, it must not surrender the fate of our aging population to the vices of exploitation for their dignified survival past retirement.

FINALLY….

A close examination of most political landscapes teaches the novice that there are no absolute rights and wrongs when it comes to public policy, only best choices. The Tinubu administration is notoriously developing deaf ears like his predecessor by not gauging the pulse of the public accurately. The Federal Govt must listen to Nigerians and decide on a middle-of-the-road course of action, particularly when it comes to economic, ethnic, and regional issues.

Ours is a nation full of similarities and commonality, between our people but dogged by our differences, which are always disproportionately amplified by a few opportunists. The efforts to capitalize on our diversity must remain central in the actions of this government. The present crop of Political Executives must mold themselves as the great men and women of our time, by acknowledging that greatness is achieved by doing what is right for tomorrow today!

Engr. Hf Dauda MoiSoro
April 20, 2024