By Wale
Sokunbi
(*pix: vanguard) |
With the incessant
protests and destruction of oil facilities, the impression that is being
created is that some of our compatriots are tired of the continuing existence
of Nigeria
as one country and would prefer to opt out of the Nigerian arrangement. The
response of the security agencies to this unfortunate scenario is only
succeeding in further hardening the agitators. Scores of protesters were
reportedly killed by soldiers in Onitsha , Anambra State ,
during the celebration of the 49th anniversary of the declaration of the Republic of Biafra by the late Chief Odumegwu
Ojukwu, on May 30, while the military also laid siege to the Gbaramatu hometown
of one of the leading Niger Delta militants. The government’s response to this
situation has not stopped the Niger Delta militants from continuing with their
bombing campaigns and threatening the Federal Government and the entire country.
Whatever the
problem is, one thing that is clear is that the best way for the militants to
achieve their objectives is not by destroying whatever is left of the country.
They will do much better to channel their grievances against the state through
their recognised leaders and National Assembly members to the appropriate
quarters so that they can be addressed and resolved. The problems that
are currently blowing against the soul of Nigeria are such that can topple
the nation’s ship of state, if not immediately and properly addressed. As
things stand, the nation’s economy is walking a tightrope on account of the
fall in the price of crude oil in the international market.
The delay in the
passage of the 2016 Budget has thrown the economy into a bind. Power supply is
getting more epileptic, while inflation has gone through the roof. The pump
price of petrol has almost doubled.