The sentiment against the government is growing broader and more comprehensive in Nigeria. That’s one of the reasons for voters’ apathy in our elections. Nigerians have seen their standard of living declining from administration to administration with no concrete reasons.
In Nigeria, survival is unpredictable. A once rich person could become a beggar or even homeless within two years due to the dwelling fortunes of the country and gross mismanagement of resources by the ruling elites.
Jonathan’s presidency was considered harsh if compared economically with Obasanjo’s administration. The dollar exchange rates, the prices of petroleum and the costs of living generally are indices that make an average Nigerian see the devils in the government.
Then came Buhari’s presidency with no substance but huge promises to fight corruption. Corruption was seen by the people as the force behind their woes, and a Buhari with a larger-than-life image corruption crusader was elected. To me, we bought into the fraud that Buhari would perform magic without considering his antecedents, mental capacity, maturity, and exposure to managing a diverse country.
The market forces that have cut the purchasing power of Nigerians by reducing their income must get to the national assembly to do the same to their allowances
We overlook his previous sins, including inciting killings and desperation to win an election. Alas, it turned out to be the worst mistake Nigerians and Nigeria would ever be made. For those who think the amalgamation of the southern and the northern protectorates was an error, electing Buhari to lead Nigeria backwardly for eight years was more than a bloody civil war.
His administration was an economic suicide and natural disaster again the people of Nigeria. Did he stop corruption? What about petroleum prices, dollar naira exchange rates, security, unity and what else? Buhari was a nightmare.
We set ourselves for failure on the ride of Buhari. We eroded all the gains of the previous administrations and took Nigerians back to the medieval age. He left a legacy of woes, division, tribalism, insecurity, and poverty and was praised for not attempting to remain in power until perpetuity.
Now is another regime with a brave start but unfortunate initial consequences of the tough decisions that needed to be made to reverse the damage of the past. I did not pity President Tinubu. I have predicted and supported him to be the president on the capacity platform and, more importantly, on principle. The principle is ‘let the man that was part of the creation of the mess be the messenger to clean the mess’.
In the Tinubu era, Nigerians will pay for the sins of the past. We will make unplanned sacrifices for the wrong decision to allow Buhari to drive our cars backwards and leave unaccountable for the corruption that became bigger under his watch.
We have seen tough decisions to remove subsidies, eliminate subventions to some agencies and float the naira. We are moving to a market economy under Tinubu. We have yet to see some sacrifices like the reduction in the cost of governance reduction in the emoluments of the Senate and the House of Assembly members. Tinubu has been taking from the poor Nigerians, and we have yet to see him take from the ruling termites we elected to improve things.
In the aftermath of the subsidy removal, Nigerians are paying the same prices for petrol and diesel. We are not visionary if we pay the same price for petrol and diesel in this age. We should have converted our cars to diesel or gas if we see and plan ahead of time. Prices of transportation, food and essential things for survival are beyond the reach of Nigerians and no thanks to anyone except the market forces.
Who be these market forces? Nigerians are asking. The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) came out bluntly to blame the recent hikes in petroleum prices on Mr Market Forces. To a Nigerian on the street, the market forces na a wicked man. So, market that we dey go everyday com padi with other forces to increase the price of everything. Why is Oga Jagaban not using our army to fight the market forces and kill them like dey do to the bandits?
vernment combined the market and the forces to punish us and increase the prices. The government is about to kill us with our forces going into our markets to increase the prices.
The market forces that have cut the purchasing power of Nigerians by reducing their income must get to the national assembly to do the same to their allowances. The market forces must force the state governors and commissioners to take less money home, reduce their perquisite of offices and travel overseas. The market forces must reduce corruption and create equal pains for all, not just the massive.
Read also: Market forces have started to play – Kyari
Nigerians want the market forces to do what they need to do on time and release them from the burden of poverty. They cannot wait for the new style of the president and his new visitor, the market forces to be over and see them enjoying the dividends of everyday life in the land flowing with milk and honey. Nigerians want their lives back in an improved and secure environment.
The market forces must be for all and not for the street people alone to make the burden worthy of carrying and the sacrifice worthy of bearing for all Nigerians and Nigeria.
Oga forces, abeg, commot for our markets and return the prices to what will not tear our pockets o.
