Tinubu on the lines of crossfire

These pieces are convincing. Without a faint iota of hesitation. That makes them compelling for publication. And I succumb immediately without blinking an eye. It couldn’t have been the other way, or otherwise.

The brawl is rich, the discourse is intense. All intended to deepen, elevate governance. And embolden its willing operators. The unwilling ones will continue to stumble and fumble. Ceaselessly and endlessly.

None of the duo can stand without the other. That will be a gross imbalance. It will make us unbalanced, unsteady. We dread the huge disparity. It will do nobody any good whatsoever. We can’t afford that. Too expensive to bear.  The reason they are being run together. And simultaneously too.    

Every word written in the pieces is the firm opinion of the authors. It’s their unbridled entitlement. They own it exclusively to themselves alone. Feast on the altercations with relish:

“I recently came across a video by Arabinrin @AderonkeW, and it reinforced a conviction I have held for a long time: Nigeria must take its national affairs far more seriously than we currently do.

“One of the things that trouble me most is how easily we forget. Individuals who played central roles in creating many of the challenges we face today often escape accountability, reinvent themselves, and return to offer the very prescriptions that failed in the first place. A serious nation cannot continuously recycle failure and expect different outcomes.

“There must be consequences for bad governance, poor judgment, wasteful policies, and the reckless management of public resources. Not because we seek vengeance, but because accountability is the foundation upon which responsible leadership is built. When failure carries no consequences, it inevitably reproduces itself.

“This is why I have little patience for the rising chorus of populism masquerading as policy. Many of the loudest voices calling for a return to the past are offering Nigerians nothing more than a repackaging of ideas that have already been tried, tested and found wanting. The country has paid too much to keep repeating the same mistakes.

“My position is clear. The difficult but necessary reforms initiated under President @officialABAT are directionally correct. They were never going to be painless because decades of distortions cannot be corrected overnight. Subsidies that enriched a few at the expense of the many, multiple exchange-rate regimes that encouraged arbitrage and a culture of living beyond our productive capacity were never sustainable foundations for national development.

“What Nigeria requires now is not panic, policy reversals, or emotional politics. What we need is consistency, measurement, evaluation and the discipline to stay the course.

“I support these reforms not because they are perfect, but because I understand the alternative. I have watched our politics long enough to know that postponing hard decisions only compounds the eventual cost. Nations rise when they confront reality, not when they run from it.

“President (Bola) Tinubu and his economic team deserve credit for having the courage to undertake reforms that many knew were necessary but lacked the political will to pursue. The @cenbank, despite enormous pressure and criticism, has remained committed to restoring credibility, stability, and confidence in the financial system. Leadership is not always about doing what is popular; sometimes it is about doing what is necessary.

“Nigeria’s task now is to move deliberately from reform to prosperity. That journey requires patience, sacrifice and a shared national commitment to development over politics, production over consumption and long-term progress over short-term applause.

“I have made my choice. I stand with the difficult work of reform because I believe it offers the surest path to a stronger, more prosperous Nigeria.

“The future belongs not to those who promise the easiest road, but to those who have the courage to build the right one.”

Signed: Otunba Segun Showunmi, The Alternative.

A rebuttal to @AderonkeW’s ‘missive’

“Ìbànújẹ kò sí fún ẹni tí ó yó.”  Translated: “The well-fed rarely understand the pains of the hungry.” A Yoruba proverb.

“If we are honest with ourselves, genuine reform must be comprehensive, equitable and humane. Elected public officials cannot continue to enjoy lavish lifestyles while ordinary Nigerians groan under the weight of an unrelenting cost-of-living crisis and persistent inflation.

“A reform programme that places virtually all the burden on citizens resembles a ‘Structural Adjustment Programme without a human face’ which, with apologies to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, is not the kind of transformation Nigerians were promised.

“Over the past four weeks, I have travelled across many parts of Nigeria, with the exception of the South East, and witnessed first-hand the hardship, despair and trauma people are enduring.

“Yet, despite these challenges, many Nigerians remain hopeful that a second term for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) would usher in a more humane and compassionate approach to governance and economic management.

“The likes of this self-styled ‘apologist’, like many others who defend these policies from the comfort of the side-lines, are quick to demonise fuel subsidies. Yet, judging by their utterances, they fail to appreciate a simple fact: Nigeria is not the only country in the world that subsidises fuel.

“Indeed, many nations employ one form of energy subsidy or another to shield their citizens from global market shocks. The real problem in Nigeria has never been the existence of subsidies per se, but rather the absence of efficient management, transparency, accountability and strict punitive measures against those who abuse the system.

“As Nigerians continue to grapple with a staggering increase in fuel prices, rising from about ₦185-₦190 per litre before May 29, 2023, to the daunting pump prices of N1,200 being paid today, the ripple effects have been devastating. The costs of living, education, healthcare, transportation and basic necessities continue to soar beyond the reach of millions.

“What many policy apologists fail to recognise is that prolonged economic hardship often breeds desperation, social unrest and criminality, while simultaneously creating an unhealthy and impoverished population. The long-term social costs of these policies may ultimately prove far greater than their proponents are willing to admit.

“Predictably, some now point to geopolitical tensions, including the United States-Iran conflict, as justification for the prevailing fuel prices. While such international developments may contribute to market volatility, the author of that appeasement article conveniently ignored an important reality:

“The Gulf States, which constitute the primary theatre of such tensions and conflicts, do not experience fuel pump prices nearly as high as those currently borne by Nigerians. That fact alone should prompt a more honest and balanced assessment of our domestic policy choices.

“Today, the cost of doing business has become overwhelming. Rent continues to rise food prices remain prohibitive and the general cost of living has become unbearable for millions of Nigerians. We complain about housing shortages when the prices of cement are ludicrously high.

“This raises a fundamental question: if President Tinubu could summon the political courage to remove fuel subsidies, why has that same resolve not been applied to reforming the extravagant emoluments, allowances and privileges enjoyed by legislators and other public office holders?

“Some aspects of public policy simply defy logic. Nigerians have demonstrated remarkable resilience and sacrifice in the face of ongoing economic reforms. It is therefore only fair that those in leadership also make visible and meaningful sacrifices.

“True reform cannot be selective; it must be equitable, shared and seen to affect every level of government. Otherwise, the perception will remain that the pain of reform is borne almost exclusively by those least able to carry it, while those at the top remain insulated from its consequences.

That, unfortunately, is why many government policies continue to raise more questions than answers. Until sacrifice is demanded not only from the governed but also from those who govern, the promise of transformative reform will remain difficult for many Nigerians to embrace.”

Signed: Gbonka of the Universe.

Last lines

Come, let reason together. No new leader actually creates the challenges he or she inherits in office. They hardly do. We have to take that pinch of salt as a fact. And factual.

Leaders come to serve by inheriting challenges. That truth is known to them before they seek to serve us. Passing that buck after getting to office is not courage, but laziness.

Let’s wake up.