The silence of the Nigerian government on the current economic woes and the extreme rise in the cost of living is too loud.

Mr. Buhari must address the nation and tell the people how much longer they have to hold on. He and the APC mandate must know that ordinary people live in this country too-more than 100m-and they are suffering.

We Can’t Go On Like This

By Adeola Aderounmu

Yes, change is gradual. I know.

However in Nigeria’s case, we are not experiencing change in the positive directions. We need to talk about this and the time is now. Everything is getting costlier by the day and life is unbearable. The cost of goods and services are shooting up astronomically daily.

 

Yes, l know the government is fighting a lopsided-war on corruption where only the PDP stalwarts are criminals. I don’t need anyone to remind me of that. I don’t need anyone to remind me that suddenly, everything is right about the APC and wrong about the PDP.

I don’t need a reminder that suddenly all the criminals in the APC fold are now saints until l can prove their indictments. So sorrowful actually, that it depends on me and not the EFCC, or the police or the judiciary-the institutions that have been unleashed on the opposition and PDP contractors.

But my father always said what is worth doing at all is worth doing well.

It is so sad that the APC-Buhari mandate took over power without a clear economic blueprint. Before the emergence of the APC-Buhari mandate, it was clear that the Nigerian economy was already collapsing.

It was clear that the politicians regardless of their party affiliation, have been looting the various states and national treasury on an unprecedented scale. It was clear that the corrupt former Minister of Finance and the incompetent governor of Central Bank have doled out funds and monies like Santa Claus.

Before the emergence of the Buhari-APC mandate, it was clear that Goodluck Jonathan has been committing economic and war crimes against Nigerians through his lack of leadership and pure weakness of mind.

Before the emergence of the APC-Buhari mandate, the rest of the world has made it clear that oil prices will continue to fall for a long time to come as inventions and innovations continue to provide alternative to crude oil.

Cars for example are driven by cleaner forms of energy including electricity in many parts of the world. Solar energy use is on the rise even in countries with long winter seasons and shorter days.

The world is changing and moving ahead. The Buhari-APC mandate must be informed about global perspectives and where the world is heading. Crude oil may not be part of the future.

When the APC was on the campaign trail, it did not roll out economic recovery plans and achievable people-oriented palliatives that will cushion the approaching hardship both on the short- and long-term.

Rather the party was busy dishing out sugar-coated promises as if crude oil was going to sell for 200 dollars per barrel in 2016.

It will soon be one year since the Buhari-APC mandate took over government and the most constant thing they have emphasized is that all the problems in Nigeria today are to be blamed on the PDP and Jonathan.

Indeed, the PDP, Goodluck Jonathan as a bad leader and definitely the APC are all accomplices in the problems facing Nigeria.

I don’t understand how anyone can actually sieve out the roles played by the APC politicians since 1999. Are the APC states or APC politicians not part of Nigeria? Is the Nigerian National Assembly divided into PDP and APC divisions?

The bulk can stop at the desk of the PDP between 1999 to 2015. But it was merry go-round for all Nigerian politicians and for the real and fake government contractors.

I did not envisage that a new regime will emerge in 2015 without the vision of what it would take to fix or address the problems. I expected a mandate with several tools, one that can fight corruption totally and address economic and political issues plaguing Nigeria.

I still cannot believe that it took Buhari-APC mandate about 6 months to establish a government full of old, overused politicians.

I did not know that Buhari-APC mandate will do exactly what the PDP government perfected for 15 years of misrule, which is to use political positions and ministerial appointments to pay back for funds invested in campaigns. I thought there would be a change.

I didn’t know that those who want change in the right direction will be called wailing wailers by the press secretary to Buhari. It’s hard to believe that the APC mandate is shooting down all voices of oppositions, even of those that propelled them to power.

The Buhari-APC mandate and all future governments in Nigeria must know that no matter what happens, some incorruptible social commentators will always be there. They will bear the burdens of the voiceless no matter who captures Abuja or the Nigerian states. So start sucking it up and get to work.

If you don’t know, last week a packet of Indomie now sells for N1500. But those who feed themselves illegally with taxpayers money using the federal budget as a tool of stealing don’t feel the economic pains.

Unleash your internet E-rats on us when we tell you that we know that you are fighting a lopsided war on corruption but you have refused to tell us what you are doing about the price of sardine that has gone up by almost 200% in the last one month.

The Buhari-APC mandate need to send people out to the market where we buy our stuffs.

Go to the market and have a feel of what ordinary Nigerians are facing or going through.

For how long will this hardship continue?

In Nigeria whatever has gone up does not ever come down again. With a salary that has refused to grow, this is a dilemma. With a minimum wage of N18 000, it is a hopeless situation.

What we are telling you is that Nigeria is collapsing, the economy is bad. Stop blaming PDP or Jonathan. Get to work instead.

Mr. Buhari for the upteempth time will rather address Nigerians from abroad than from his office in Abuja.

For me, this is one of the greatest mysteries with the Buhari-APC mandate so far. Buhari did not talk or address Nigerians adequately during his campaign. One year later, he is still not talking to Nigerians.

An arrangee media-chat is not the way to go.

I am now sure that something is wrong somewhere. This time Mr. Buhari had to fly to Kenya to make promises of cleaning up the Niger Delta. Before then, it was from the UAE, US and the UK.

Can l predict that the next time Mr. Buhari talks to Nigerians, he will be outside of Abuja? Very strange.

This is my assignment for Mr. Buhari. In the next few days, he should stand or sit side by side the Minister of Finance and perhaps one or two economic gurus from the Central Bank or from Nigerian foremost economic institutions and make a joint public address.

What is going on? When will this end? Where is the change?

We can’t continue like this and the silence itself is too loud.

The silence can also means clueless.

The issues are clear. The problems are obvious.

So, they need to tell us the plans to bring us out of these woes that we continue to pay for even through higher taxes and increase in the price of electricity that is not yet available.

What measures are in place to ensure that the cost of goods and services do not continue to escalate in the face of the misfortune that continue to befall our dear Naira?

What measures are in place that the minimum wage or the regular salaries received by workers do not become useless in the face of continuous rise in the cost of goods and services?

For the hardworking civil servant who has planned to build his modest home with his N5m savings, what are his chances now that his budget has gone up to N15m because of the dwindling fortune of the Naira?

The cost of a plate of rice has gone up. The cost of transportation is up. The cost of living generally is set for the sky.

What are the hopes for Nigerians today?

I can raise a thousand questions on the present fate of the Nigerian worker, the unemployed, children, the elderly and the hopeless across the country.

These are the people that Buhari-APC mandate should be addressing, the issues and the problems that they face.

If the Buhari-APC government continue to blame the PDP without addressing the problems or issues, how does that help the common, ordinary people?

Again, we agree that Jonathan-PDP mandate destroyed Nigeria. Thanks for the information. What are the plans now?

The Buhari-APC mandate must thank the Nigerian resiliency at a time like this. I don’t know if it can go on forever. For we have seen changes in regimes that occured in the twinkle of an eye through mass revolts even in places where government gave hopes to the people.

In Nigeria, no one has addressed the country about a future that is hopeful. No plans, no visions! We just dey carry go as if nothing happen or nothing dey happen. Na wa o

But enough is enough!

Mr. Buhari must addres the nation and tell the people how much longer they have to hold on. He and the APC mandate must know that ordinary people live in this country-more than 100m and they are suffering.

In the short term, all the recovered and returned loots must be heavily invested on the people in such a way as to provide reprieve for the current suffering staring at them daily. Transport, cost of goods and commondities, health issues just to mention three need to be addressed.

On the long term, Nigeria must reach that point as quickly as possible where all the regions and states are productive and contributing massively to the earnings of the country. Nigeria and Nigerians must act as if the oil is finished.

It’s probably time to start cleaning up the pollution in the delta as rightly mentioned by Mr. Buhari in Kenya. Clean the place and let everybody go home. It will take 50-60 years l learnt.

A corrupt-free government, one that is steered from the regions is imperative for Nigeria.

Patriotic citizens who are dedicated to country and humanity are elements of nation building. The optimal utilization of the available human resources will avail much.

A broader economic agenda should cover agricultural export, investment in science, education and medicine. It should include national exploration and appropriate utilization of Nigeria’s mineral deposits scattered everywhere in the land.

President Buhari and Nigeria’s economic and financial gurus must present in earnest a comprehensive and doable blueprint for Nigeria’s economic recovery.

Enough of the silence.

We are waiting!

aderounmu@gmail.com