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During this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration, President Bola Tinubu urged Nigerians to make more sacrifices and endure the prevailing pains and hardships for a prosperous future. The President, who observed the Eid prayers at the Obalende Muslim Praying Ground near Dodan Barracks, Lagos, had in a statement by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Dele Alake, said: “I thank Almighty Allah for keeping us in good health till today and pray to Him to grant us robust health and prosperity. May our sacrifices turn to prosperity. We have to make the sacrifices and that is clear, we have to.”
The President also stated: “But Allah will not give you a burden that you cannot carry. He is there for us. We must have faith in the country, have faith in ourselves, believing that as citizens of this country, we must join hands to build the nation.”
Some state governors also used the occasion to call on Nigerians to make sacrifices for the sake of the nation. Ordinarily, the appeal would have been heeded and taken in good faith if our political leaders had been exemplary in governance. Considering the pains Nigerians are saddled with on account of the effects of the removal of petrol subsidy and the unification of the exchange rates by the federal government, it will be extremely difficult to convince Nigerians to make more sacrifices, especially when those in government are still living in brazen opulence. The recent Tinubu’s lengthy convoy of 100 cars on Lagos roads is unnecessary. Similarly, the appointment of about 33 aides by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, is not in tandem with the call on Nigerians to make more sacrifices.
While we acknowledge the need for more sacrifices on the part of all Nigerians at this point in time, we believe that political office holders should show example. They should lead the crusade while the masses follow. Unarguably, the bane of Nigeria’s political leadership has been the lack of leaders with personal example. Obviously, we earnestly crave for a change of that ugly narrative. The change we need must start from the top before it reaches the bottom.
Since 1999 when the present political dispensation was inaugurated, our past leaders, including the immediate ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, had made similar appeals to Nigerians. Having endured Buhari’s anti-people policies in his eight-year reign, Nigerians expect some relief from the present administration. Buhari’s naira redesign policy, which was badly implemented, threw more Nigerians into the poverty net. It was during Buhari’s regime that Nigeria was classified as the poverty capital of the world. The situation has not changed. Unfortunately, the Tinubu administration commenced with the imposition of more hardships in a country where 133 million people are already categorised as being multi-dimensionally poor. According to World Bank, four million more Nigerians were pushed into poverty in the first six months of 2023. If the subsidy removal is not well managed, the global bank predicts that about 7.1 million more Nigerians will join the poverty line. Tinubu’s removal of fuel subsidy without putting in place palliatives to assuage its effects on Nigerians is not tidy. The current pump price of fuel at about N520 per litre is very exorbitant and not many Nigerians can afford it. The recent report that petrol may cost N700 per litre is not palatable. It will throw many Nigerians into misery. At the same time, the plan by the administration to increase electricity tariff when 92 million Nigerians lack access to electricity is anti-people and must be shelved forthwith. In the same vein, the proposed VAT on diesel, N1000 charge for proof of vehicle ownership will further impoverish the masses.
We call on the President, the National Assembly, the governors and other political office holders to make more sacrifices for the good of all Nigerians. Making Nigeria great and prosperous should concern all of us, the leaders and the led. As citizens of this country, we shall partake in making it better for all. There is urgent need to cut the salaries and allowances and other perks of office of all public office holders across all tires of government in the country. That is one way they can demonstrate that they are involved in sacrificing for the development of the nation.
Let the ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government be reduced as a way of reducing our cost of governance, said to be one of the highest in the world. Members of the National Assembly should reduce some of their jumbo allowances in keeping with the spirit of the times. The executive at the federal and state levels should reduce security votes and corruption in government.
The federal government should enunciate pro-people policies to assuage the excruciating pains induced by its recent harsh economic policies. Although the unification of the exchange rates is in the best interest of the economy, the government should make the dollar available. The current scarcity of forex is inimical to manufacturers, business owners and other users. The new administration must shore up the value of the naira, curb inflation and create more jobs.
