Need for re-approachment, as protest loses momentum, by Kola Amzat
No country’s leadership would open his eyes and also cross his legs to allow hoodlums and miscreants over-run his country under the guise of a reckless and potentially destructive protest obviously borne out of ignorance, hate, envy, strife and petty jealousy.
Not with what the global community witnessed some years ago with respect to ‘Arab Springs’, a personal protest from an unemployed Tunisian graduate that snowballed into the extinction of a generation of political leaders in the Gulf region and also leaving on its trail, wide scale destruction of public institutions and personal properties in the entire continent.
Recently, the world also witnessed a similar spectacle in Kenya, where there was mind-boggling destruction of public properties and monuments, as well as human carnage by the protesters who were clamoring for government attention to address the spiral inflation that has ravaged all strata of economy, as well as demanding for well-being of the citizenry in all gamut.
The president and his team have therefore remarkably done well to rally all major stakeholders in the Nigerian project notably the traditional rulers, political class leadership, NANs, CSOs, CLOs etc, to nip in the bud, the politically motivated protest that would have caused incalculable and colossal ruin to the economy, infrastructures, as well as to Nigerian people, with violence, chaos, pandemonium that would have resulted.
Even though, the protesters have their grouse and venoms, but, the tool of violence and mayhem they intended to adopt would have been counter-productive, as well as setting back the country.
At this auspicious time when the country is making spirited and deliberate efforts to consolidate the gains already recorded in rails, roads, airports, medical, educational infrastructures, by completing the reconstruction of many work-in-progress and also initiate new ones across the country, where would the protesters expect the government to source for humongous sum that could be in the region of trillions of Naira to re-construct and bring back to life, some historical monuments, skyscrapers, medical and other infrastructural facilities that would have been razed down through their provocative and reckless protest?
Meanwhile, the bone of contention remains the hunger in the land, hike in petroleum products occasioned by subsidy removal, as well as floating of domestic exchange rate, a challenge that has made mince-meat of the citizenry’s purchasing power.
For the avoidance of doubt, there is none of this policy measures that is not desirable, if the country is to draw the curtains on the “regime of quick fix solutions” that had been her bane in the past, and embrace genuine development that would eventually launch her to prosperity in all facets.
As the protest loses its flame, this writer would therefore humbly and passionately appeal to the president to do the under-listed with a view to providing immediate succor to the populace, while we surely await the transformation of the country through long-term oriented policy measures already being implemented by the government:
Government should make food ABUNDANT and more importantly AFFORDABLE, as well as within the reach of the downtrodden. The specific food items in this regard are Yams, Garri and Rice, which are Nigerian staple foods. May be, there is need for federal government to DELIBERATELY and STRATEGICALLY create FOOD BARNS in different locations in all the 774 Local Government Councils across the federation to be managed by independent bodies other than the state governors and LGC authorities. The masses could be made to seamlessly and conveniently have access to these BARNS on monthly basis through a ticketing system at a controlled prices to be purchased in other locations. If this exercise has been a huge success in other parts of the world, there is absolutely no reason why Nigeria case should be an exception.
The president could also mandate APEX Bank to also consider re-visiting the WHOLESALE floating of the domestic currency, by exploring another exchange rage management tool called MANAGED/FLOATING SYSTEM, that would see the bank indeed floating the rate, but, periodically intervene when the rate crosses a particular threshold that could have negative impact on the economy, as well as erode the purchasing power of the generality of the citizenry.
With respect to the pains that has attended the removal of petroleum subsidy, resulting in the hike of the petroleum products, the express mandate given by the president to NNPCL to ensuring constant sale of crude oil to Dangote Refinery would go a long way in alleviating the plight of Nigerians. However, the president is implored to cultivate Alhaji Aliko Dangote to ensure that at least 80% of resultant PMS and DIESEL are made available to the domestic market and also, at the rate that would bring back the GOODWILL of generality of Nigerians to government. After-all, one good turn deserves another!
On a related note, the news is in public domain that government have totally paid for the reconstruction of Port Harcourt and Kaduna Refineries at a combined sum of about $3 billion, with timeline of completion date already expired. It’s an auspicious time for our visionary, very resourceful, purposeful and patriotic president to give UNMISTAKEABLE mandate to NNPCL to start producing petroleum products from these refineries. There exists no doubt that the combination of the output from these refineries, as well as output from Dangote Refinery would significantly normalize the situation in the oil & gas sector and douse this unnecessary tension this challenge has created in the last 14 months across the country.
This writer also humbly encourage the president that it’s indeed an AUSPICIOUS time to rejuvenate the cabinet.
While, the Commander-in-Chief of Armed Forces put his life on the line, working tirelessly 24/7 with a view to ensuring that the country is launched into prosperity and real development, it’s crystal clear that some cabinet members are not working in tune with the administration’s Agenda, as they are continually causing setback with respect to achievement of the Vision and Agenda of government
Indeed, Nigerians desire very purposeful, result-oriented, loyal, nimble, and people centric new Ministers who would complement the president, with a view to turning the tide, as well as causing a dramatic turn-around in all facets.
Finally, it’s instructive to submit that the protesters are not justified in trooping out to protest against a government that have achieved the under-listed within 13 or 14 months thereabout in office:
- Economic growth of 2.98% in the first quarter of Year 2024, as against the 2.31% recorded in the same period in Year 2023. This trend is expected to continue as several intervention measures by CBN take center stage.
- Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development launching of dry season farming involving about 118,000 hectares in about 15 states across the country. This unprecedented intervention injected about N309 billion into the economy. The ministry also supplied about 110, 000 wheat farmers with inputs resulting in an output of about 470,000 metric tonnes.
- Federal Ministry of Agriculture supply of several trucks of fertilizers and Agricultural inputs to thousands of farmers, particularly in the northern region with a view to ensuring abundant of food supply to millions of households across the country in the weeks/months ahead.
- Federal Government earmarking of N100 billion fund for Consumer Credit, with a view to mobilizing the manufacturing sector to come back to life, an initiative that would manifest when the Nigerians can fund the purchases of manufactured goods from real sector.
- The government approval of more than 133% increase on the minimum wage.
- The administration commencement of Student’s Loan scheme that gives Nigerian Indigent students in Tertiary Institutions access to Interest-free facility to fund their educational pursuits.
- There is also a new Electricity Act 2023 that ended the monopoly of Nigerian Electricity Regulation Commission (NERC) in electricity administration, granting States, Companies and Private Individual’s ample opportunity to participate in the investment in power sector with the latitude to generate, market and transmit electricity with the main purpose of making power supply affordable to millions of Nigerians.
- Recently, the government also achieved the delineation of electricity system into categories-Band A, Band B, Band C etc, an initiative that has significantly relieved the downtrodden of huge tariffs payment on monthly basis.
- On related note, the government has commenced the disbursement of N50, 000 to 1,000,000 on monthly basis, a Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme, also known as the Trade Grants Scheme.
- The recent AUTONOMY granted to Local Government Councils through the pronouncement of Apex Court purposed to ensure huge resources are made available to local government authority on monthly basis across the country for developmental and infrastructural developments is a direct initiative of this government.
- The significant reduction of tax payments from 52 to 10, a fantastic initiative that purposed to end the regime of multiple taxation is also an awesome and strategic initiative of Tinubu administration.
- The government equally initiated the launching of a new program called the Presidential Intervention Fund, with huge amount of N200 billion set aside to help small businesses grow.
- The scheme is purposed mainly to help small businesses, with specific focus on sectors like trading, food services, ICT, transportation, creative arts, and artisans.
- The administration have committed huge resources in infrastructures in rails, roads, airways, medical, educational and research institutes with a view to ensuring prosperity, growth & development in the country.
What this president and his administration deserve from the country men and women is tremendous accolades and profound commendation for what he has done so far, and not doubts & aspersions been cast on the administration.
Kola AMZAT (FCA, FCIB)
Lagos based Financial Consultants.
09077509348.
