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Crises in Nigeria: Food, Not New Constitution, is the Answer

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By Eric Elezuo

In the recent times, the Nigerian space has been very volatile as anger occasioned by extreme hunger, continue to ravage the land. This situation has led to a massive protest against the less than 15-months-old President Bola Tinubu-led administration in states across the nation, especially in the Northwest and Northeast corridors of the regions.

Themed #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, the protests have been described as the consequence of a bottled up anger, which has engulfed Nigerians, from the extreme hardship that resulted with the pronouncement of Tinubu’s “Subsidy is gone” address on May 29, 2023.

With various manifestations of theories being propounded as the reasons for the consequential crises, most elites have said the a new constitution that will address the basic structure of the Peoples of Nigeria is urgently needed to assurge the desires of thr people, others have opined that at a time like this, all Nigerians are interested in is food for survival, and not constitution.

“Yes, we need a new constitution to address a lot of lopsided issues in the Nigerian nation, but as it stands today, the most important to address is hunger and hardship that has reduced many families to beggars, and has also made even the hitherto well to do members of the society to relapse into oblivion,” a hardship protester said.

As at the moment, a N500 plate of food cannot quench a form of hunger in roadside cafeterias otherwise ‘mama put’. One has to cough out as much as 1500 to 2000 to be able to have a ‘decent’ roadside. The eateries are now no go areas to average salary earner.

In the same vein a moderate tuber of yam that can serve for one meal in a family of 3/4 persons cost about 5000 as against 1000/1500. A bag of rice sells at N85000 depending on the location. Tomatoes and other cooking ingredients are gradually going beyond the reach of the regular.

Tinubu has therefore, in a make or mar effort to redeem image, launched into unproductive distribution of palliative to both individuals and governments, all in a bid to attempt to curb the resultant hardship, which has been acknowledged by the government. The effort has painted the administration as a palliative government of Nigeria, that has no clear-cut agenda to give the people a good life.

It would be recalled that life took a dramatic turn for the worse for Nigerians on May 29, 2023 minutes after President Tinubu was sworn in. It all took three simple words to bring a world of gloom to the citizens, who were hoping for a positive change from the drab eight years of General Muhammadu Buhari’s administration. What Nigerians got was a clear distance from prosperity and survival. In between May 2023 and the present, the situation has remained unprecedented as high cost of living, loss of jobs and general disconnect from deep-rooted welfarism have become the order of the day. Nigerians have continued to tell a tale of woe, the Tinubu loyalists have continued to defend a very bad situation, albeit unsuccessfully.

From the moment President Tinubu declared the unfamous subsidy is gone jargon, a drastic change occurred. And as if not deterred in the provision of antipeople policies, more policies and decisions that have further pushed citizens to the precipice were dished out including floating of the dollar, that has made naira a no use in the international money market, hike in elecrricity tarriff, and worse of all, the disappearance of operations of not a few multinational businesses.

” alt=”” aria-hidden=”true” />Microsoft announced the shutting down of its development centre in Nigeria, just two years after the opening of the centre in Lagos. This development adversley affected Nigerians, many of whom were employees in the firms and others.

In 2023, GlaxoSmithKline, Nigeria’s second-biggest drug producer, unceremoniously left the country after 51 years of operation. The British pharmaceutical giant said its prescription medicines and vaccines will only be sold in the country through third-party distributors. The same fate befell Unilever which shut down its home care and skin cleansing business. In the same 2023, another pharmaceutical multinational, Sanofi, left Nigeria.

Procter & Gamble (P&G), the US consumer goods powerhouse, which has been operating in the country for 30 years and ran two manufacturing plants in Ibadan, Oyo State and Agbara, Ogun State, closed down business operations and switched to only importation activity, describing the Nigeria market as problematic for the corporation.

Other companies that have called it quits with Nigeria since the advent of the Tinubu administration are Equinor Nigeria Energy Company (ENEC), a Norwegian energy corporation, which holds a 53.85 percent ownership in oil mining lease (OML) 128, including a 20.21 percent stake in the Agbami field, operated by Chevron. The company announced the sale of its Nigerian operations after three decades in the country’s energy market, including the company’s stake in Agbami oil field which were all sold to a Nigerian-owned firm, Chappal Energies.

Jumia Food and Bolt Foods also joined the long queue of companies that left Nigeria in December 2023. All blamed the rising and unstable foreign exchange rates and other unbearable government policies.

But the Tinubu government has continually told everyone that all was well, and the economy is on the right footing.

It is worth knowing that these aforementioned companies are known and in the limelight bwcause they are foreign companies. This is saying that in the alleged bad governance policies, private owned companies, the SMEs who could not even withstand the harsh inflation and cost of doing business have also packed up, as a direct consequence of the subsidy is gone pronouncement. These closures created wide gap of joblessness, unemployment and resultant hardship and hunger. This also heightened the spate of insecurity, thuggery, armed and petty robbery, kidnapping, banditry and outright terrorism.

It was not therefore, a surprise when out of the blues, a notice of 10-day long protest tagged #EndBadGovernance in Nigeria was initiated. The organizers, who were originally dismissed as faceless, outlined its demands including a reverse to previous electricity tariff regime, return of subsidy among other demands.

The Tinubu addressed any of the demands, but engaged in propaganda and threats using instrumentality of government, thugs, traditional institutions as in Lagos State, emergency groups and more. The protest however, held, and was successful in states, but failed in many other states, especially in the southeast.

After the third day when it became violent in the north east and west regions, President Tinubu addressed the nation. But Nigerians across board described his broadcast as porous and failed to address the spirit of the protest, which was a demand for end of hunger and hardship. Tinubu asked for more time, reiterating that his policies are for the good of the nation,  no matter how unbearable they are.

He said, “In the past 14 months, our government has made significant strides in rebuilding the foundation of our economy to carry us into a future of plenty and abundance. On the fiscal side, aggregate government revenues have more than doubled, hitting over 9.1 trillion Naira in the first half of 2024 compared to the first half of 2023 due to our efforts at blocking leakages, introducing automation, and mobilising funding creatively without additional burden on the people. Productivity is gradually increasing in the non-oil sector, reaching new levels and taking advantage of the opportunities in the current economic ambience.

“My dear brothers and sisters, we have come this far. Coming from a place where our country spent 97% of all our revenue on debt service; we have been able to reduce that to 68% in the last 13 months. We have also cleared legitimate outstanding foreign exchange obligations of about $5billion without any adverse impact on our programmes.

“This has given us more financial freedom and the room to spend more money on you, our citizens, to fund essential social services like education and healthcare. It has also led to our State, and Local Governments receiving the highest allocations ever in our country’s history from the Federation Account.”

However, personalities like former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, Nobel Laureate, Wole Soyinka among others derided the speech as lacking in substance, and failed to address the issue of hunger, which is the major reason for the protest.

According to Soyinka, the president also failed to mentioned the extrajudicial killings of some protesters by security agencies during the uprising.

“His outline of the government’s remedial action since inception, aimed at warding off just such an outbreak, will undoubtedly receive expert and sustained attention both for effectiveness and in content analysis. My primary concern, quite predictably, is the continuing deterioration of the state’s seizure of protest management, an area in which the presidential address fell conspicuously short,” Soyinka said.

In his response former VP Atiku said, “His speech neglects the pressing economic hardships that have besieged Nigerian families since the very beginning of his tenure.

“This address lacks credibility and fails to offer any immediate, tangible solutions to the Nigerian people. Given the extensive publicity surrounding the protests and the threats issued by government officials against demonstrators, one would have expected President Tinubu to present groundbreaking reforms, particularly those aimed at reducing the exorbitant costs of governance.

“But alas, no such announcements were made. The President ignored the protesters’ demands, such as suspending the purchase of aircraft for the President, downsizing his bloated cabinet, or even eliminating the costly and burdensome office of the First Lady, who has been indulging in extravagant trips at the nation’s expense.”
Other than Tinubu’s apologists, loyalists and direct beneficiaries of his government, the entire nation is constantly voicing the fact that food is in dire need before families begin to slump in mid motion as a result of inherent and uncontrolled hunger.
It is not known the direction any other protest will take in the near future, but the truth remains that the government of Tinubu must rise to the occasion, and remedy an already messed up situation so that Nigerians can heave a little sigh of relief in the buildup to returning to economic statusquo before a new direction is carved.
But notable Nigerians like veteran journalists, Chief Dele Momodu, has said there is no hope of recovery for the economy if Tinubu continues in the direction he is going.
In an article titled, “A Nation in Pain,” where he insisted that only a miracle can avert what awaits the country, Momodu said, “Let those who still care plead with these people to have mercy on Nigeria. No matter how long Tinubu spends, he will fail spectacularly and sink Nigeria, unless he can drastically reduce the insensitivity and the ongoing jamborees in his government. Sadly, he doesn’t seem inclined that way.”
It’s obvious that time is ticking on Tinubu as a result of the non-availability of food, what may not be obvious is the trend of the next protest.
Yes, a new constitution is good to address lopsided affairs, but availability of food is the most important thing at the moment because citizens have to be alive to put together a new constitution.

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US Polls: Tinubu, UK PM Starmer Congratulate Trump

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President Bola Tinubu has extended his heartfelt congratulations to President Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th President of the United States of America.

A statement by Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy), Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday, said President Tinubu looks forward to strengthening the relations between Nigeria and the United States amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world.

Donald Trump claimed victory on Wednesday and pledged to “heal” the country as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.

President Tinubu said: “Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens.”

According to President Tinubu, Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership. He congratulates them on their commitment to democracy.

President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States.

Acknowledging the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.

Meanwhile, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has congratulated Donald Trump on his “historic election victory”, adding that the UK-US special relationship would “continue to prosper”.

“As the closest of allies, we stand shoulder to shoulder in defence of our shared values of freedom, democracy and enterprise. From growth and security to innovation and tech, I know that the UK-US special relationship will continue to prosper on both sides of the Atlantic for years to come,” he said.

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Just in: Chief of Army Staff, Taoreed Lagbaja is Dead

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The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, is dead.

Lagbaja died after battling an undisclosed ailment. He was 56 years of age.

He was appointed COAS by President Bola Tinubu on June 19, 2023.

On October 20, the army dismissed rumours that Lagbaja had passed on, adding that the army chief was undergoing medical treatment abroad.

On October 30, Tinubu appointed Olufemi Oluyede as the acting COAS.

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Again, Atiku Addresses Nigerians, Insists Tinubu’s Devoid of Coherent Plan, a Novice

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Former Vice President of Nigeria, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has again written on the woes of the President Bola Tinubu-led administration, saying the president is bereft of coherent plan to run the nation.

The Waziri Adamawa made this position, and made others known in a statement he personally signed. He noted that from every decision Tinubu has taken since Assumption of Office, it’s obvious that he is a novice.

The former Vice President wrote:

I have taken note of the initial responses highlighting the striking disparity between President Tinubu’s faltering economic policies and the alternatives I have proposed. It is exciting to witness such a vigorous debate on these critical matters, and I sincerely hope that this discourse will ultimately benefit Nigeria and its citizens.

Like many fellow Nigerians, I firmly believe that we find ourselves in this current economic turmoil due to the Tinubu administration’s hasty ascent to power, devoid of a coherent plan.

In stark contrast, my team not only devised a comprehensive Recovery Plan, but also welcomed significant input from Nigerians, ensuring that our approach was inclusive and well-considered.

Isn’t it fascinating how the so-called “tested” Tinubu administration’s only policy response seems to be a national prayer led by the First Lady and the NSA? Just a mere 24 hours after I proposed my alternative solutions! What a bold strategy! 🤣

In my humble interpretation of the scriptures, prayer indeed serves as a noble path to follow. However, the sacred texts also counsel us to engage in diligent labour and hard work.

It is therefore uncharitable for Tinubu’s team to claim that my proposals remain untested. What remains unproven is the erratic, trial-and-error nature of the policies so far implemented by this administration, which elucidates our present predicament.

Let us not forget that under our economic stewardship between 1999-2003, Nigeria soared to the pinnacle of Africa’s economies, while their administration has relegated us to a disheartening fourth position.

The average GDP rate under the Obasanjo administration that I served in was 6.59% and peaked at 15% in 2002; 7.98% under the late Yar’Adua administration and 4.8% under Jonathan compared to the dismal 2.8% of the so-called “tested” Tinubu era. Enough of the pains of the shambolic “bolekaja” economic policy prescriptions!

We cannot hope to tax our way out of the economic quagmire wrought by these misguided experimental policies of a novice administration. Numerous nations, such as the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Monaco (an EU territory with a zero-income tax policy), among many others, have emerged as economic powerhouses by fostering growth through lower taxation. Why then are we fixated on inflicting further hardship upon an already struggling populace?

One can only speculate that Tinubu’s government is anchored to a mere Tea-plan, which can only lead to a T-pain.

Furthermore, let me emphasize that the citizens who cast their votes in the 2023 presidential election are well aware that I did not lose; rather, we find ourselves in this predicament because the election was criminally stolen from the Nigerian people.

Atiku Abubakar
Vice President of Nigeria (1999-2007) and Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (2023)
Abuja
4th November, 2024.

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