By Adeze Ojukwu
The excruciating pain and penury arising from soaring food and fuel prices have left many Nigerians seething with anger and rage.
Since independence, the country has had a history of bad governance, characterized by graft, tribalism and unrest, due to political, cultural and religious vulnerabilities. But never in its chequered history has the society been embroiled in such massive levels of imbroglio, which peaked during the eight-year devastating hegemony of the immediate past administration.
The minimal gains of the previous governments were virtually
thrown overboard by transactional politics, financial rascality, nepotism and
incompetence of the Buhari-led administration. Governance was left in the hands
of incompetent people, leading to a reign of impunity and anarchy, from the
corridors of power in Abuja to the hinterlands. The inglorious season further
plunged over 133 million citizens into unacceptable poverty brackets and
extreme deprivation.
As a parting gift, the brutal executive bequeathed a most disputed
general election, a polarised polity, a staggering debt profile, a comatose
public service and an intractable savagery. The atrocities of the cruel era and
their traumatizing perils have continued to elicit national and international
scrutiny.
However, hopes for a much-anticipated socio-economic relief were
dashed by the current administrators, who are already displaying insensitivity
to the plight of the masses, with their unwarranted demonstration of
ostentation.
For instance, the sudden removal of fuel subsidy without adequate welfare plans for citizens is not only brazen but absurd. The spiralling effect of this policy has plunged the nation into more hardship. Such a sensitive national issue should have been accompanied by social safety nets and palliatives to cushion the harsh effects of the new regimen. Given the controversies of legitimacy and credibility surrounding the inauguration of the current administration, its reported flagrant display of opulence and clannish moves are ominous signs of foreboding misfortunes.
Certainly, these hypocritical beginnings are antithetical to the “renewed hope” mantra. Obviously, the initial euphoria that often characterizes regime changes has been replaced by worsening discontent and disdain. Indisputably, most nations cannot survive the persistent misfortunes prevalent in Nigeria.
For several days, France has witnessed violent
protests over the alleged shooting of a teenager by the police. But in Nigeria,
innocent citizens are shot dead by security forces without any repercussion.
Apart from police brutalities, citizens contend with deadly activities of
insurgents, bandits and criminals. The ruling hierarchy seems unperturbed by
these calamities because of security privileges provided by the police and private
guards. Hence, those who were elected to serve the people ignore their sacred
oaths and responsibilities for pecuniary advantages. They often live large,
akin to 12th century emperors, while pushing the distressed population to the
precipice, by forcing them to make futile sacrifices.
Hence, the fast-spreading tension across the land, prodded by
widening income gap, between the ruling class and commoners reflect breaches
that defy successful social science theories and paradigms. Indeed, the
vexatious avarice, treachery and profligacy exhibited by desperate politicians
are not only baneful but harmful to Nigeria and its blighted image. Ignoring
these red flags will most likely imperil the tottering nation and its
beleaguered populace.
Unless the political sphere is sanitized and reformed, the
country’s stability and development will remain catastrophic.
With many citizens subsisting on less than one dollar daily due
to the prohibitive cost of basic amenities, life expectancy, economic
productivity, high mortality and morbidity rates as well as other demographic
indices will remain abysmally low, in global ratings.
Therefore, most stakeholders in the development spectrum were
not surprised by the recent United Nations (UN) report, which revealed that “millions
are facing hunger and children’s lives are on the line in the North East.” The
agency said “its humanitarian response in the region is underfunded, amid the
protracted conflict and intensifying climate change.”
According to the country’s top UN humanitarian official,
Matthias Schmale, severe hunger is affecting 4.3 million people in Borno,
Adamawa and Yobe states. Meanwhile “the number of children, under-five years,
at risk of life-threatening and acute malnutrition has doubled in one year to
reach 700,000.”
In a statement, Mr. Schmale said: “I have been
to Borno and the other two states several times. I’ve seen mothers fighting for
lives of their malnourished children in nutrition stabilization centres. Many
of the children complained about being hungry for days. Those of us who are
parents must imagine what it’s like when you cannot ensure your children have
enough to eat.”
“The catastrophic situation is primarily the result of more than
a decade of insecurity linked to non-State armed groups, which prevents people
from farming and earning income from the land. Another harmful factor is
climate change and extreme weather impacts. Last year saw the worst floods in
ten years in Nigeria, which affected more than 4.4 million people across the
country, not just the North-East. Soaring prices of food, fuel and fertilizers
have exacerbated the crisis, and the response remains severely underfunded. Out
of the $1.3 billion in humanitarian funding needed for the region, only 25 per
cent has been secured so far,” he stressed.
Urgent establishment of well-structured and viable economic
programmes will definitely contribute significantly towards ameliorating these
plagues. The ultimate goal of every visionary leader is to guarantee the
inalienable rights of citizens. This pact entails efficient delivery of
democratic dividends to the masses, in tandem with the tenets of most
progressive societies.
*Ojukwu, a journalist and author, writes via adeze.ojukwu@gmail.com
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