By KenechukwuAguolu
The call for a nationwide protest against hardship on Thursday, August 1st, 2024, has caused anxiety among Nigerians. There are divergent views about whether the protest should be held or not. Using what happened during the ENDSARS protests, which led to the loss of lives and properties, as a precedent, it will be difficult to predict the outcome of such a protest. There are fears it may be hijacked by hoodlums and become violent.
The question arises: how did we get here? The economic policies introduced by the administration have brought untold hardship, though they were expected to be short-term and yield long-term economic benefits for the nation. Apart from the hardship, there is also an issue of trust in the government. The current level of unease and anger among Nigerians could have been avoided if the government had handled its affairs better.
Words can start and end a war. Government officials and political officeholders should be sensitive and avoid careless statements while communicating with the public through press interviews, press releases, social media, etc. Additionally, the Nigerian government should match its words with actions to build trust. Also, giving timelines that cannot be met should be discouraged.
The government, having promised Nigerians that their sacrifices would pay off, should also be seen as making sacrifices and cutting costs. For example, political office holders should be encouraged to reduce the size of their convoys, the number of their aides, the number of foreign trips, and the size of their delegations. Flamboyance should be discouraged.
The approval by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the suspension of duties, tariffs, and taxes for the importation of certain food commodities, including husked brown rice, wheat, maize, and cowpeas, through land and sea for 150 days and the proposed importation of 250,000 metric tonnes of wheat and maize by the Federal Government should have come earlier. It is worrisome that weeks after the announcement, food prices are still soaring, as it seems full implementation of the food importation policy has not commenced.
One would have thought that a sensitive matter like a new national minimum wage would have received prompt attention from the government and be implemented by now without the need for labour unions to go on strike. The delayed approval of the new national minimum wage sent the wrong signals to Nigerians, portraying the government as indifferent to their plight. Actions speak louder than words.
Nigerians should be made more aware of the achievements of the Tinubu administration and their significance. Some major achievements include the payment of the seven billion dollars in forex backlogs, the unification of the forex market, the student loans scheme, the consumer credit scheme, and the Renewed Hope Housing scheme. Ironically, many people aware of these achievements do not understand their significance and may therefore trivialise them. The National Orientation Agency has a big role to play in this regard.
The Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) initiative has dragged on. Nigerians still await the CNG buses promised by the Federal Government, aimed at reducing transportation costs, which have been a significant challenge. The high cost of transportation has made it difficult for people to commute to their places of work or business. It has also significantly impacted the prices of goods and services. Any government intervention that reduces transportation costs would be appreciated.
The call for a nationwide protest is understandable given the hardship Nigerians are going through; however, it should be discouraged as it may result in a worse outcome than the ENDSARS protest. The government has once again called for patience. Do Nigerians trust the government? The current situation calls for more patriotism from Nigerian leaders and citizens alike. The government should not wait for strikes or protests before acting appropriately.