By SAMUEL AWOYINFA
In the next 24 hours, Nigerians would move into the New Year 2024. When they look back to year 2023, they would pray that the new year should be better than the previous year.
This is so because of many reasons. 2023 would be remembered for pains, anguish, hunger, and dashed hope.
Though it was the year many Nigerians had expected that the incoming government of President Bola Tinubu would hit the ground running and change the misery of poverty, insecurity and hunger in the land, they were however wrong, as things stand.
The announcement that President Bola Tinubu made in his inaugural speech on 29th May 2023, that “fuel subsidy is gone”, rolled in tough times for Nigerians, and it is not certain when this gale of sufferings would subside.
Inflation is standing at over 20 per cent, as prices of staple foods hit the roof, transport fare and prices of essential goods, price of a litre of Premium Motor Spirit et all became high, and the income of workers remained static.
President Bola Tinubu rolled out measures to tackle the challenges through introduction of palliatives, but it remains to be seen whether those palliatives have made any significant impact on the lives of average Nigerians.
The cash awards to workers has remained some months in arrears for some civil servants, the CNG buses are still being awaited, the new minimum wage according to the Minister of Information would have to wait till April 2024.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Idris Mohammed, who disclosed this in an interview with The PUNCH in Abuja, said the current ₦30,000 minimum wage would expire at the end of March 2024.
States were also given ₦5bn each as palliatives to cushion the effects of the removal of the petroleum subsidy, it however remained to be seen how some states have assuaged the pains on their people. Many families have disintegrated due economic debasement in the land.
State governors need to do more in also opening up the space and offer employment to the citizens, come up with initiatives to reduce poverty and disease. Open up the rural areas with infrastructure – good roads, potable water,electricity, effective healthcare delivery and effective security network.
They should be reminded that their security votes are not meant to acquire more luxurious trappings of life while their people are mauled by rampaging hoodlums.
If civil servants are getting cash awards, and other forms of palliatives, what about those who operate in the private sector?
What Nigerians need from all our leaders is to be creative with governance.
They have to cut down on government expenditures, embrace prudent spendings, block leakages, and shun ostentatious living.
The same thing applies to the NASS and State Houses of Assemblies.
The long row of convoy needs to be reduced to the barest minimum to reflect the lean times.
Again, there is the need for the governments at the Federal, State and Local Government levels to go into mechanised farming, invest in making electricity stable and create employment. The Federal Universities are crying for the government to lift embargo on employment as many of their staffers have retired, some have joined the “JAPA” train to foreign lands, some have resigned and some have died.
The same would apply to some MDAs and parastatals. This is time to open up the space to get Nigeria working again.
Besides, the Government should introduce policies to make the environment conducive for manufacturers via tax holidays, adequate forex, provision of stable electricity, address the vexing issue of multiple taxation among others.
Most importantly, the challenge of insecurity must be tackled headlong to buoy investors confidence; both local and foreign ones.
No investor would come to an unsecured environment, where kidnapping, killings by terrorists and bandits are prevalent.
This is a wake up call to the nation’s security agencies to do more in arresting the frightening trend. It is frightening having over 100 people mauled down and many others injured by bandits in Plateau state. Niger, Yobe, Zamfara states are still reeling under rampaging terrorists and bandits.
2024 requires a more focused, determined and deliberate policy thrust to address all these challenges and take Nigerians and Nigeria’s economy out of the woods. Foreign countries are making their migration laws tougher, if not targeted at Nigerians only definitely Nigerians are not left out.
This is wishing Nigeria’s leaders speed in doing the right thing, in moving the country forward.
