Last week, the Godswill Akpabio led senate stripped Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South of his duty as the Chief Whip of the upper chamber and replaced him with his counterpart from Borno North, Senator Tahir Monguno.
The crime of Senator Ndume was his bold and consistent wake-up call on President Bola Tinubu to halt the escalating cost of living and food scarcity in the country. The lawmaker had on several occasions said Nigerians were facing acute starvation and that urgent steps needed to be taken to address the situation.
Ndume was not playing to the gallery or trying to wipe up unnecessary sentiment, after all, he belongs to the ruling APC. But he was genuinely expressing concern that people are suffering because of the state of the nation's economy. Perhaps it was a feedback from his constituents which he helped to re-echo.
Only those who are feeding fat from the nation's treasury will claim that all is well. But they can't continue to live in denial as there is palpable anger in the land resulting from the level of hunger. People are angry, and like Ndume said, the recently agreed N70,000 new minimum wage is just a drop in the ocean. A minimum wage that cannot comfortably buy a bag of 50kg rice.
The Renewed Hope Tinubu promised Nigerians seems to be another political rethoric. There is nothing at the moment that suggests that there is hope for the common man. Hopelessness is what is visible. Poverty is walking on four legs, hunger, starvation and lack is what the average Nigerian is facing. The soaring prices of food stuff has become alarming.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), has reported that all measures of inflation rate rose in June 2024. It said headline inflation increased to a scarring 34.2 percent in June 2024 from 22.8 percent in June 2023 and 34.0 percent in May 2024.
Officials of the federal government may want to argue that substantial progress is being made to revamp the economy but the reality on ground does not indicate that. Yes, the nation's external reserves has increased to $36.89 billion. The GDP growth rate is now 3.1%, according to the IMF and NBS, while the balance of trade is at a surplus of ₦6.52 trillion, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. But this has not helped the situation of acute food scarcity. It has not also translated into better or enhanced living conditions for Nigerians.
The dollar rate hovers around 1,600 to 1,650 a dollar. Fuel prices have continued to fluctuate. While some stations sell at N800 others sell at N900. Getting the product at NNPC mega stations is a nightmare for Nigerians because of the long queues. This has equally affected the cost of transportation across the country.
As the hardship bites harder, some Nigerian youths have concluded plans to stage a nationwide protests beginning from August 1-10, 2024. The 10 days protest is already gathering momentum and is scheduled to take place in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT). One of the leaders of the protest and
the 2023 presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, said a revolution would start in August, and that “Nothing Can Stop An Idea Whose Time Has Come”.
The planned protest is a follow up event of previously organized street protests and demonstrations in some cities. It is also coming few months after the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), embarked on a nationwide protests, citing “mounting hunger and insecurity” in the country.
The planned mass action has raised tension in the country. With the #EndSars protest of 2020 and the recent event in Kenya, there are fears that Nigeria may be on the brink of another civil unrest which may lead to chaos and anarchy. From past protests, it will not be surprising that the coming one will be hijacked by hoodlums and non-state actors. This might lead to mayhem if not a complete breakdown of law and order.
It is therefore our appeal for the Tinubu administration to urgently do something to restore the hope and confidence of Nigerians. It is not the time to blame Peter Obi or Atiku Abubakar for being behind the planned protest. It is a time for quick action to save the economy and the country. Like they say, desperate times demand desperate measures. If nothing is done and the hunger in the land fester, the consequences may be too severe to deal with. Tinubu should know that an hungry man is an angry man!
