Can We Afford To Give Up Now?

The Insight

By Lateef Adewole

Today is the last Saturday of the month of December and of the year 2021. This is the last edition of “The Insight” for the year. It’s been an exhilarating, long and challenging year. In some decades since I was born and became aware of my surrounding, I cannot recall a year more challenging than this year. Not about personal issues, but in the life of our country Nigeria, within the context of global challenges.

However, that I am writing this and that you are reading same, only means one thing: we are both alive! That alone overrides whatever challenges we must have faced or still be facing in the last one year. And that is enough for gratitude from us. Life has no duplicate. So, whoever still has theirs should be extremely thankful and appreciate it. At this moment, countless of people have died in the last one year. Some will still not see the end of this year. We can only pray that God, who has spared our lives till date, should make us see the end of this year 2021 and many more to come.

Where does one start to recall the upheavals that have befallen the country, and the world? Nigeria’s case is peculiar as we have been facing serious existential problems, which have refused to abate. These challenges are both economic and social in nature. Except people who do not patronise markets, which I doubt there is any, the cost of living has gone through the roof. On record, food inflation has continued to be on the increase but I wonder if that figure truly captures the reality. Things have become outrageously expensive. And I am not talking of luxuries or non-essential things, but basic things that every human being needs to survive and be alive.

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Maslow’s hierarchy of needs puts physiological needs (air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction) at the bottom of others needs on the pyramid, which are: Safety needs, Love and belonging, Esteem, and Self-actualisation. It explained that these basic essentials at the bottom, make a human being. Now, it’s these basics that have become difficult to get by the masses, who dominate that level of the pyramid. All along, efforts are geared towards moving people from the bottom level upwards. This is the essence of most poverty alleviation programmes of governments at all levels, but how far have they gone?

“Kaka k’ewe agbon ro, lile lo n le si” (rather than things to get better, they got worse). It seems that people are not feeling the impact of these programmes, or it is tokenism, reason they are not making the desired impact. “Omi ti po ju oka lo”. The poverty level overwhelmed the alleviation programmes. This is because, more people are said to be falling into poverty on daily basis, despite the humongous amount that government keeps allocating to the programmes. Sincerity is lacking in its implementation.

The peculiar woe of Nigeria was then compounded by the coronavirus, which has shaken the world to its roots since last year. As the world tried to extricate itself from one variant, another mutated variant would emerge. As at the last count, we have witnessed about four mutations since Covid-19 broke out. The latest of them is the Omicron, which has been spreading like wildfire around the world, and in Europe in particular. The only saviour is that it is not as virulent as the previous ones, though, it spreads faster.

What has been baffling more about this whole coronavirus virus “business” is that, there has not been immunity to its infection, irrespective of whether you have been vaccinated or not. Sadly, in many Western countries and Asia, where people have received their recommended two jabs, such people have been found to still be infected again. Worse is with another third jab called booster jab, that has not stopped the person from the coronavirus attack. So, what is really going on?

The scientists have tried to explain it away that taking the vaccines helps to mitigate the severality of the virus infection on those who have been vaccinated. Well, I am not against taking vaccines and I do not disbelief that the virus exists, like many “doubting Thomases”. However, I suspect there is more to the virus than meets the eyes. The world was thrown into unfortunate turmoil, possibly because of some sinister selfish pecuniary interests. This has led to deaths of millions of innocent people worldwide, directly from the infection and indirectly due to unintended consequences, or may be they were intended.

Global economy has suffered immensely from its outbreak. Many struggling economy has collapsed. Many countries without robust healthcare system broke down. All other healthcare and services for all other ailments before Covid-19 suffered neglect. Many non-covid patients died as a result of their inability to access their routine medical care due to the focus on covid which took the whole attention of the world away from every other ailments. Most healthcare practitioners were redeployed to covid assignments. Yet, we are still here.

Nigeria is not an exception. In fact, it hit us so bad, being a monoproduct economic country, whose major source of revenue earnings is from crude oil. Its price collapsed last year and it sent Nigeria into a second recession within four years. The picking up of economic activities around the world, with attendant surge in global crude oil demands and higher price, rescued our economy, which exited recession months ago. It did not go without its devastating consequences on inflation, especially food.

The dilema will always faced as a country whenever crude price picks up is the unquantifiable loss of revenues that go into the ludicrously high petroleum subsidy. This is apart from the fact that we still buy petrol at 165 naira per litre, which is truly low, when compared with prices in neighbouring countries that surround us. This accounts for the attractiveness to smuggle the product across the borders. This remains the only valid explanation that NNPC management has been offering as reason for the criminally outrageous 65-75 million litres as our daily consumption of the product. Who has been consuming that?

Sometimes, it even went higher to about 90 to 100 million litres per day. It is said that over 1.5 trillion naira is used to subsidise petrol annually. This is money that was supposed to be used for developmental projects but gone down the drain. Moreover, the president directed the closure of all Nigeria’s borders since August 2019, that is 28 months ago. This was aimed at reducing the incidents of arms smuggling into Nigeria, which worsened insecurities.

Also to enhance local production of goods, especially agricultural products for our local consumptions and to export the excess. What have been the results of all that now? Failed! In the last two years, the insecurities have reached unprecedented levels. The north has virtually been taken over by bandits, killer fulani herdsmen and insurgents. All of them are now terrorists, officially. Although, this declaration of bandits as terrorists came after the situation has spiralled out of control. Too little, too late. So, of what use was the border closure?

Local productions and expected surge in agricultural businesses did not happen as projected. This only aggravated the hunger in the land with the skyrocketing of prices of the basic goods, including all foods. I don’t know which agricultural product has become cheaper as a result. This has equally not resulted in reduction in the daily fuel consumption figures declared by NNPC. This is why I smell rat. Something isn’t adding up. It seems the government has even forgotten the rest of the borders after the partial opening in some locations early this year.

Even if people were interested in agricultural businesses and government actually meant well, who would dare venture into that at this time, as in the past few years? Going into farming has become a suicide mission. You have to prepare your will testaments first before starting. This is because, it’s only your going into it you can guarantee, not your coming back alive. How many traditional, generational farmers have abandoned their fatherlands in the last few years?

The largest victims of the killer fulani herdsmen, bandits attacks and insurgents have been farmers. Thousands have been murdered in cold blood for doing their jobs: farming. Many have been kidnapped, maimed, raped and killed. Many large farms and crops in them have been destroyed by bandits. Farm storages for agricultural produces were not spared. The second level of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs; Safety (personal security, employment, resources, health, property) have also become a mirage. The first two levels are where over 70% of Nigerians will be found. Just existential needs. Yet, unattainable to them.

Nigeria is at risk of food insecurity as a result. Apart from farmers, everyone is now at risk. No one feels safe anywhere again. Travelling by road, in train or staying indoor is as risky. “Big or small” man, no one is immune to it. A lawmaker was killed this week in Kaduna. A Commissioner was murdered in his home in Katsina, last week. Security agents (military, police and other paramilitary) are all victims. Many have been kidnapped. Many have been killed. Emirs, Obas and traditional rulers. Religious and community leaders. All have suffered from kidnappings and deaths. No one is exempted.

If things have gone this bad, with the situation looking hopeless and people feel helpless, what do we do? Can we afford to give up now? Unfortunately, the answer is still no! We cannot afford to give up now. Like many of us who have no other country to be called our own, Nigeria remains ours. But, the “rulers” have refused to let it work. They have refused to allow it blossom due to greed. They have refused to listen to the voice of reason.

While politicians think of the next election, leaders think of next generation. Isn’t it obvious the kind that we have ruling us? They are already justling for the next election coming in 2023, which remains their top priority and preoccupation, even when the country is on fire. This is despite that many of them were and still are part of the team that brought us to this mess. They were involved in digging us to this shithole. What exactly do they plan to do differently now, from where they have put us today? Many of them are simply power mongers, who want political power and positions for self-agrandissement. Nothing more. The examples are staring us in the face.

Do I even blame them? Well, I do, but the blame can go round. People deserve the leaders / rulers they get. What kind of people are Nigerians themselves? These leaders did not drop from the sky but emerged from amongst us. We put them there one way or the other. And we are suffering the consequences. “Agbara ojo o ni oun o n’ile wo, onile ni ko ni gba fun”. The people need to re-evaluate themselves, their values, what their priorities are. Are they immediate gratifications as seen in their collection of few cups of rice, beans, five yards of clothes and other peanuts, used to bribe them by politicians as elections draw closer or choosing right people who will serve them genuinely? The sharing has started. We have seen them packaging rice, beans, gaari, sharing 500 and 1000 naira to “mumu” masses. How can you still expect them to provide any welfare programme or infrastructures for you when they get to office? You are already eating your dinner in the morning in advance. And it will be four harrowing years.

Before this, who still believes any good thing can come out with the unwieldy structure that Nigeria operates now? With the kind of wastefulness by political office holders, civil and public servants? And the corruption? That’s impossible. The system has reached its limit. Expecting miracle from it is like flogging a dead horse. Nigeria is not working as presently constituted. The need to restructure has never been more critical than now. But, do our leaders care? I don’t think so. Their perception of losing their present privileges and undue advantages wouldn’t let them.

But, like the Yorubas will say: “eepa n para re, o lo n p’aja”. They all will be consumed by the conflagration when the bubble bursts? Sample of it is what we are all witnessing with bandits, especially in the northern Nigeria. Likewise, IPOB/ESN/UGM in the South-East. Militancy in Niger Delta is not dead. There is bottled-up anger in South-West. Why are we deceiving ourselves? Why are leaders deceiving themselves that all is well or could be salvaged with the existing system? We shall see. God’s willing.

Whatever situation we found ourselves today, we should continue to thank God because we are still alive. Where there is life, there is hope. Where there is will, there is way. Let’s keep hope alive.

May God continue to protect us and guide us aright.

God Bless Nigeria.

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