Friday, October 11, 2024 11:11 pm
By Korede Abdullah
In 1983, the venerable sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo sounded a clarion call, warning President Shehu Shagari that Nigeria’s ship of state was perilously close to hitting the iceberg, threatening a catastrophe of Titanic proportions. But ensconced in the comforts of power, President Shagari cavalierly dismissed Awolowo’s cautionary words, branding him an alarmist. Little did he know, fate had other plans.
True, as Awo predicted, the Nigerian economy went south!
Fast-forward to the present, and we find ourselves in a similar predicament. President Bola Tinubu, we your loyal supporters still hold you in high esteem, yearning for your success. Alas, the economic hardships plaguing Nigeria have reached a boiling point, with untold suffering and crushing difficulties that cry out for respite. In a nutshell, these are not the best of times. We therefore implore you, Mr. President, to revisit your economic policies and imbue them with a human touch. The clock is ticking; time is of the essence.
As the removal of fuel subsidy has continued to cast a dark shadow over Nigeria’s economy, leaving in its wake a trail of skyrocketing prices and unrelenting hardship, it’s imperative that President Bola Tinubu revisits this policy. The common man, worn down by the weight of economic woes, doesn’t grasp the intricacies of “subsidy” – all he yearns for is a decent life, lived within the humble means he’s been afforded. His plea, a heartfelt cry to the President, is to bring solace to the nation’s weary soul, to put smiles back on the faces of Nigerians who are struggling to make ends meet.
The fuel subsidy removal, touted as a necessary evil, has instead unleashed a maelstrom of suffering, with prices of goods and services escalating to dizzying heights. It’s time for the administration to reexamine its priorities, to find a balance between economic prudence and the welfare of its people, lest the very fabric of the nation begins to fray under the pressure of unrelenting hardship.
As the nation teeters on the precipice, we recall the wisdom of Awolowo, whose prophetic words still resonate today. Let us not repeat the mistakes of the past. Instead, let us chart a new course, one that prioritizes the welfare of the people and sets Nigeria on the path to prosperity. According to that Spanish-American philosopher, George Santayana, “Whoever fails to learn from history is doomed to repeat it.”
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