There is no denying the fact that the memories of the misgovernance which not a few Nigerians experienced during the immediate past administration led by former President Muhammadu Buhari for a period of 8 years still leave not a few Nigerians traumatized even as the experience has become hard to shake off. Without resorting to making a baseless accusation in this context, it is not an exaggeration to say that many Nigerians, particularly those who fall within the demographic segment of the population derogatorily tagged “Poorest of the Poor” has still been burlesqued, troubled by the unprecedented level of bad governance that was literarily unleashed to sting them like scorpions from 2015 to 2023.
Without a doubt, not a few Nigerians at the moment have still been bitten by the experience, which was no doubt harrowing, whenever the height of nepotism, killings, and kidnapping among other inanities that characterized the immediate past administration invade their thoughts. In fact, the physical and emotional pain still makes not a few people entertain fear of the incumbent president not toeing the same line of anti-people leadership demonstrated by his predecessor, particularly as given the fact that the journey to healing is long and difficult. The fear of witnessing anything that has an iota of semblance of such a government is further heightened as no one wants to be bonded with his or her past suffering. Aptly put, Nigerians do not want bad leadership to become a trait of their collective destiny, even as no one is praying for affliction to come for the second time.
Yet, when the thought of a similar experience happening under the ongoing administration arises, it can be jarring and unsettling. It is normal to have mixed feelings and conflicting emotions about the possibility. It can feel like we are sending mixed signals to ourselves, on one hand, we are fearful and anxious, but on the other hand, we may feel strangely prepared or resigned to it. In as much as motivational speakers, positive thinkers, and pastors would always advise that it is important we remain hopeful and faithful as we navigate these complex emotions, I must confess that many Nigerians are expressing fear of being afflicted again through bad governance or anti-people policies just the same way it was done to them for a period of 8 years in the immediate past political dispensation, if the way and manner the newly sworn-in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is going about governing Nigeria since May 29, is anything to go by.
Given the foregoing, it is expedient to correct the wrong impression that might have been formed while reading this piece by enlightening those who may have in their minds been saying, “This writer is too fearful”, “Don’t mind him, he is an Obedient”, “It is too early to criticize the president” and all sorts of defensive statements in condemnation of this piece that there is every reason to be anxious and fearful. After all, our elders have told us that the smell of fart determines how the feces will smell. If I may ask, when is it not too early to criticize the president, is it when he has stayed beyond 100 days in office?
In fact, as much as not a few Nigerians are applauding the President for removing the fuel subsidy in a fiat while delivering his inaugural speech on May 29, there is no denying the fact that that singular act, particularly as he did not seek wide consultation with stakeholders in the oil and gas sector and the labour sector as well as the media has made it seem as if he started on a wrong note in that direction. Without being exaggerative in this context, many Nigerians are at the moment suffering as transport fare and prices of various food items have skyrocketed to unaffordable levels.
As if to add salt to injury, the president and the lawmakers a few days ago gave approval to the money-sharing project of N8, 000 per family for six months for 12 million Nigerian families as a palliative to cushion the effect of the removal of the fuel subsidy The plan sailed through after Mr. Tinubu had in a letter asked the National Assembly to amend the 2022 Supplementary Appropriations Act by extracting N500 billion to provide palliatives.
However, since the approval was made public, it has been trailed by condemnations. One of the reasons widely touted by not a few critics is that the palliative is a sham, and may not be able to meet the challenge it was implemented to address.
In fact, not a few commentators have been tongue-lashing the government for introducing the kind of palliative it is about executing as it exposes itself to some unscrupulous politicians with itching fingers. They argued that as things stand, and looking at the reality on the ground, particularly against the backdrop of past experiences that there is hardly any credible evidence that the proposed money-sharing project of N8, 000 per family for six months, and for 12 million Nigerian families would not turn out as one of those bogus, impact-less projects Nigerians have witnessed in the past.
Given the foregoing, some experts have started urging the president to consider shelving any policy that would not directly or indirectly impact positively on the lives and standard of living of the masses.
At this juncture, it is expedient to add a voice to that of other Nigerians that have so far condemned the proposed money-sharing jamboree called palliative by saying that it leaves a sour taste in the mouth, and suggests that the present government is heading towards the direction of the immediate past administration. They may not be wrong in their speculation given the fact that our elders have said that “The child that does not know what killed his father may likely die from the same sickness that killed his father”.
The reason for my view on this issue is that it is high time we stopped pampering leaders by virtue of sharing the same affinity with them, and by that leaving them to run a bad business called Nigeria.
Against the foregoing backdrop, it is propitious to say that Nigeria has since Independence suffered from poor leadership from not just politicians but across the board, even as failures in leadership are also been recorded in the private sector and civil society.
At this juncture, if we ask ourselves the question, as I do very often, why have past and contemporary leaders in Nigeria performed so poorly? If any of our leaders’ business was run since Nigeria gained Independence in 1960, not to talk of since 1999 when the country adopted a democratic system of government in the manner the country is been run what would happen?’, I come up with one answer in this context; we have had poor leadership.
When I say poor leadership, I mean poor political leadership in the first place, a leadership that has never really faced the tough question and made the right decision but it is also a failure of leadership in the private sector and in civil society because we have stood by and watched it happen.
As for us the followers, let me say our leaders have all along been running a bad business called Nigeria and we have stood by and watched it happen. So we are as guilty as the political leaders are and if there is one lesson I want to leave us with, it is for us to think about that fact. We cannot stand on the sidelines anymore; the politicians alone won’t do it; we have to get involved by ensuring that bad leaders are not railroaded to corridors of power by virtue of being either our kinsmen, church members, or fellow political affiliates. We are equally guilty of running Nigeria as a bad business because we are fond of conniving with them when it comes to the monkey business called rigging and hyping.
Though, it is obvious that our incumbent president is not likely to find it easy to clear the mess Buhari has left in the business called Nigeria during the “Pharaonic” where he held sway with whip in his hand for 8 years. Be that as it may, all is not lost, though getting back from the brink would not be easy.
First of all, there is a need for a reality check to be done. There is no easy way out from the mess, even as there is no silver bullet, no oil, no gold, no special project, or logistics port that is going to get us out of this problem by itself. It is going to be a slow, hard grind as we step back from the precipice.
Sequel to the foregoing, our leaders should refrain from embarking on spending sprees or jamborees in the manner they have been reported to be doing since Tinubu was sworn in on May 29.
As you read this piece, the leadership of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged the Senate President, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of House of Representatives, Mr. Tajudeen Abbas “to drop the scandalous plan to spend N40bn on 465 exotic and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials, and N70bn as ‘palliatives’ for new members.”
Not only that, SERAP urged them to “repeal the 2022 Supplementary Appropriation Act to reduce the budget for the National Assembly by N110bn, reflect the current economic realities in the country, and address the impact of the removal of fuel subsidy on the over 137 million poor Nigerians.”
SERAP also urged them to “request President Bola Tinubu to present a fresh supplementary appropriation bill, to redirect the N110 billion to address the situation of the over 20 million out-of-school children in Nigeria, for the approval of the National Assembly.”
According to reports, “While N70 billion ‘support allowance’ is budgeted for 306 new lawmakers, only N500 billion worth of palliatives is budgeted for 12 million poor Nigerians. N40 billion is also allocated to buy 465 Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and bulletproof cars for members and principal officials.”
In the current situation, we seems headed in the direction of the immediate past administration, but there is hope if the current administration can loosen itself from the apron strings of the immediate past government by eschewing the delusion itself that Nigeria belongs to the All Progressives Congress (APC), having been in power since 2015.
Be that as it may, Nigeria should be run as a business wherein every Nigerian is a shareholder and beneficiary. It should not be run like the proverbial tree where low hanging monies flourish for everyone to pluck.
