The on-set of the twenty first century after the death of our Lord Jesus Christ also sign posts the era of man’s consternation at his own image that glares at him from the mirror mounted before him by God through the fingers of time. As I have pointed out in another conversational endeavour whose circulation plan is still in the works, the mirror in which the image of humanity has been reflected in the hands of God since the 25th day of December 2004 reveals alarming facts. As far back as twenty-one years ago, the mirror showed that while the world was not formally engaged in a frontal third World War, over three million women and children had been rendered widows and orphans in Africa and other parts of the world by ravages of inter-ethnic, inter-religious and inter-territorial wars. Over one hundred and fifty of such wars were raging around the world; from Rwanda to Sudan, Angola to Afghanistan and Pakistan; from Cambodia to Zimbabwe, Siera-Leon and Liberia and then unto the nooks and crannies of Nigeria at the on-set of insurgencies. The America/Iraq (turned world) war had been won and lost, leaving humanity gapping at its own follies on the issue of wars, battle lines and the table upon which the buck on the issue rested. It was exactly ten years since the Rwandan genocide took place, but it looked like the day before, as it looks today and will for ever do. Humanity had watched without seeing as over 800,000 Rwadans were massacred just as Nigeria is on the verge of witnessing twenty one years after. From 2 million orphans due to HIV/AIDS pandemic, 1.2 million abortions p/a, to 1,500 deaths by muggings p/h from documented public and Interpol records just before the horrific Indian Ocean Tsunami in the early hours of December 26, 2004 hit humanity awake from its slumber. Today,, twenty one years after the Tsunami, humanity has sunk deeper in its drug-laced slumber.
Bola-Ahmed Asiwaju Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Fast forward to May 2025. Step forward, Nigeria in your blazing ribbon bearing the boldly scripted tag indicating the Second Year Of Implementation of The Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration. Two hundred and thirty million Nigerians look on to Tinubu to re-enact the “Lagos Theory” over the vast land of Nigeria, the most populous black nation on the surface of earth. Ordinary mortal as His Excellency is, he applied extra-ordinary speed to roll out the instruments of his Agenda. “Immediate fuel subsidy removal”, one-window foreign exchange and other financial sector reforms that saw cabals and corruption moguls battling for breath were put in place. “Immediate results” poured in. Monthly allocations to states and local governments quadrupled. Inter-regional super highway infrastructure greeted with well grounded initial sceptism have moved on. The preponderance of Nigerians waited on the President’s “Lagos Team” with the medals touch in bathed breathe for their turn of the Golden Era to happen to them.
And then, HUMANITY came home to roost. The specie of humanity wrapped in the hue of colours that preceded the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami goddesses of the seas obviously sent for reprimanding purposes came home to roost in their present worsening colors. How, who and where?
As monthly allocations to the States and local governments quadrupled, and the trickle down effects on the economic lives of the masses should have been impacted upon in manners that afford them to pay for their minimal existential needs and put affordable food on their tables, hunger and deprivations have been their lots. Seventy-five percent of Nigeria’s household members go to bed every night unacceptably under-fed. State governors who would do anything to circumvent the presidency-spearheaded Local Governments’ financial autonomy are determined to maintain their vicious grips on the treasury bags of the States. Accountability for the use of States and local allocations are placed on hold, until tomorrow, if it ever comes.
The relative Nigerian Billion Naira Question today is: Was the outright removal of fuel subsidy and other sector reforms under the Renewed Hope Agenda right for the nation? For the single reason of the quantum of corruption that prevailed around the handling of fuel subsidy documentation and the foreign exchange windows, both related decisions by the administration were timely. However, in the light of the fact that under most systems of governance around the world, governments subsidize economic costs of living for its citizens in ways untaintable by corruption, the way it has been handled by the present administration is deficient and tantamount to playing to the gallery and obvious unintended bosoms of the colours of humanity that populate Nigeria’s political space today. The trickle down effects of the removal of fuel subsidy through monumental increase of fund allocations to the States have been taken hostage by the thrifty fingers of the politically exposed elective office holders in the States; from the governors, legislators, their appointees and the irredeemable local government chairmen.
Significantly painful is another fact that the Social Safety Programs through which the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration are being implemented ostensibly over the heads of governors have, hitherto, also ended in the laps of the uncountable “professional politicians” who populate the nooks and crannies of Nigeria as foot soldiers of the same governors and legislators. They are the ones who “process” the names of Social Safety Program beneficiaries, often short-changing the masses. The hopeful resort to a National Data Bank in the near future in this regard is still work in progress.
Now the cats are springing out of the bags! As the hijackers of the benefits of fuel subsidy removal through quadrupled monthly allocations to the States realize that President Tinubu will be in trouble with the voters in 2027 for no fault of his own, and in their desperate search for escape routes from being called to account for the billions accruing from fuel subsidy removal, a tricky gambit has been hatched and let loose. It is called the Decamping Syndrome. By decamping, they deceive themselves President Tinubu would look the other way from the malfeasances of their era after 2027 elections. In doing this, they fail to even begin to comprehend the metaphorical political institution called Ahmed Bola Tinubu. The master strategist who has told everyone one who has ears to hear that he has a legacy appointment with history, Nigeria and Nigerians-“Emi loku” is being taken for a ride in a political contraption completely strange to his antecedences, even as he seems to be enduring the ride.
They forget that even if they are able to serenade the President unto this slippery dance floor of 2027 with most State Governors, Senators, State Assembly Members, LG Chairmen and their millions of full time professional politicians decamping and routing for him to a Presidential election victory, Ahmed Bola Tinubu will certainly demonstrate his faith in his legacy appointment with Nigeria and Nigerians. Offenders will never go unpunished. Before God and committed leaders, there are no invincible politicians and Eight years of presidential tenure, deserved or negotiated, is not forever. Only Nigeria’s future interest is.
