The bleak picture already forming in 2018 is unfortunate enough as it is. If anything, it is being accompanied by a chronic lack of faith in the government and the expectations of even worse things to come. So, without radical changes at the highest levels of government, it promises to be another long, forlorn year ahead.
By December, the last month of every year, most people would have crossed into the New Year in their thoughts, fine-tuning plans and invoking new energy to meet the challenges of the coming year. Unfortunately, this last December, many Nigerians could not even muster the mental stimulation to prepare for a new year of opportunities, as we were all bogged down by tiring old woes.
Crippling fuel scarcity fouled the holiday mood early in December and persisted right into the New Year. After dealing with many disturbing developments and mind-boggling actions of the political class all year round, Nigerians were denied a stress-free end to the year. Familiar fuel queues returned to the country’s filling stations with biting force as the cost of transportation doubled or tripled in many places and cars simply could not get any fuel. It was a sordid end to 2017 and a frustrating beginning for the year 2018.
The New Year also saw the loss of lives in mindless killings in Omoku, Ogba-Egbema-Ndoni Local Government Area of Rivers State, renewed massacres by suspected herdsmen in Guma and Logo Local Government Areas of Benue State. There was also bloodbath in Southern Kaduna and other similar skirmishes all over the country. The attacks were followed by the usual empty words of reassurance that Nigerians have come to expect from the government, further dampening spirits as we proceed into the year.
The bleak picture already forming in 2018 is unfortunate enough as it is. If anything, it is being accompanied by a chronic lack of faith in the government and the expectations of even worse things to come. So, without radical changes at the highest levels of government, it promises to be another long, forlorn year ahead. Even though Nigerians have consistently been listed amongst the happiest people in the world despite all odds, that woe-defying happiness may soon wear out.
It is quite sad that the response of the government to the myriad of problems bedevilling the country, has, no doubt, immeasurably contributed to the pain and anguish of having to live with these situations. For instance, after the queues began at filling stations across the country, Maikanti Baru, the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was forced to leave his cozy office to embark on a ‘road show’. The purpose was to create the impression of concern and control over the situation. While on one of these public ‘shows’, he unwittingly let slip that the country had resorted to resume paying some subsidy to petroleum marketers.
Before then and up till now, Nigerians had not been informed that yet another major promise of the government would be rescinded. At inception in 2015, the Muhammadu Buhari administration had rubbished the payment of subsidies to petroleum marketers with a promise to stop the payments. Consequently, the price of fuel jumped to N145 at the pumps. We are now being inundated that the landing price of petroleum has increased, thereby making it impracticable for the pump price to remain at N145.
…it is obvious that the government has been engaged in a deceitful game on this fuel issue. While new ‘subsidy’ has not been fully reflected in costs to the petroleum marketers, the government had issued a draconian order for pump price to remain the same. That was simply why the marketers resorted to self-help until such a time when the government would come good on its subsidy.
From Baru’s explanation, the government has been covering the difference between the new landing cost and the old cost to ensure that pump price remains at N145. But reports from the filling stations suggest otherwise. Contrary to Baru’s claims, petroleum marketers were bearing the new cost. This is what has resulted in hiking of the price or hoarding of the product.
Considering the two differing accounts, it is obvious that the government has been engaged in a deceitful game on this fuel issue. While new ‘subsidy’ has not been fully reflected in costs to the petroleum marketers, the government had issued a draconian order for pump price to remain the same. That was simply why the marketers resorted to self-help until such a time when the government would come good on its subsidy.
What this boils down to is that this government has still not perfected the art of diplomacy and negotiations. Worse still, it has failed to learn the practice of transparency and open government by carrying people along at every point in which a major change that will affect their lives occurs or is likely to occur. Many of these issues could have been solved through effective communication and education of the populace on government processes.
As if this was not enough, even while on long queues during the holidays, Nigerians were again taken aback by the apparent appointment of dead individuals in the government’s latest list of board appointees. Even the most ardent believer in this government would have had cause to pause, in the midst of all of this, to wonder what 2018 has in store for the country.
As usual, the government was ever so reluctant to admit its failure, apologise and make swift amends. Instead, absurd excuses started to pour out of government channels. The claim that it was impossible to vet the 3000 long list before eventual release and that those making outright obnoxious remarks were “liliputians” and trouble makers with nothing better to do, was a puerile and unintelligent defence. In a country looking to grow its international image, it was an embarrassment of epic proportions that ought to have led to a sack in a sane country.
Some government spokesmen even claimed that the deaths were too recent to have been caught by the ‘diligent’ people responsible. Francis Okpozo, a former senator, posthumously appointed to chair the Nigeria Press Council, died as far back as 2016, and the president himself mourned his passing-on in December 2016. There are not one, two or three dead appointees, but about nine of them, which ridicules the whole exercise.
The truth is that while many positive strides have been taken in the past couple of years, the nonchalance in other areas and lack of cohesion threatens to unravel any good work that has been done. It is a new year, and the least Nigerians deserve is peace of mind at this time to forge ahead, especially as there is likely to be none this time next year.
For any part of this government to publicly say anything else that is not an apology and a promise to do better in the future, is embarrassing. Yet, the tone of the government is so unapologetic that it stirs anger, dismay and bewilderment in the minds of reasonable Nigerians. What is more disturbing is that this is the same attitude that has accompanied everything wrong that has been done in the present administration, so much that it seems the government has a penchant for making costly but avoidable mistakes.
One now thinks that the ministerial list that took so long to produce could have been determined the night of the election victory too, as it eventually came with no surprises or evidence of any deep search or vetting. Similarly, the way the issues of herdsmen, fuel scarcity, insecurity and general government communications have been handled betrays a lack of regard for proper handling or meticulous governance that the administration promised before taking power.
Perhaps, of greater worry is the recurring decimal of the belligerence, bellicosity, intransigence and melancholy of herdsmen now on display across the country, with the attendant bloodletting and destruction of property on a scale never envisaged before in the country. Now that the police hierarchy has clearly confirmed through the inspector general of police that this rampaging herdsmen are indeed, Nigerians, it is fuelling speculations that the issue of herdsmen/farmers’ clashes being witnessed on a large scale all over the country, may have a jihadist inclination and political undertone. And the government has, so far, not shown any readiness to confront this issue headlong as thousands of lives are being wasted in the ongoing genocide and pogrom all over the place.
Coming so close to the election year of 2019, one can only expect more disruption and greater scrutiny of this government. No matter what side of the pond one belongs, the truth is that stability will benefit this country more than constant change that is not aligned to any philosophy.
The truth is that while many positive strides have been taken in the past couple of years, the nonchalance in other areas and lack of cohesion threatens to unravel any good work that has been done. It is a new year, and the least Nigerians deserve is peace of mind at this time to forge ahead, especially as there is likely to be none this time next year.
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