Same Old Story

Fela Anikulapo Kuti was a government critic all his adult life.  His disdain for bad governance, maladministration, and corruption in his days was second to none. His 1985 album,  “Army Arrangement”,  is still a masterclass today which revolves around the same old story of how the Nigerian political elite are looting the National treasury.  He sang, “Obasanjo plan am very well. Him take old politicians; wey rule Nigeria before. The same old politicians; wey ruin Nigeria before. Obasanjo carry all of them; all of them dey there now”

Have you heard his composition, “Authority Stealing,” where he draws a parallel between armed robbery and corruption in positions of power? While an armed robber faces harsh punishment for pilfering meager amounts, those in authority embezzle vast sums with impunity, often garnering praise instead of condemnation.

And what of “Suffering and Smiling,” where he portrays the plight of the average Nigerian, enduring hardship in every facet of life yet finding solace in the promise of a better existence in the afterlife, a narrative perpetuated by religious leaders indulging in opulent earthly pleasures?

The late Fuji maestro, Chief Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, in his 1983 release “Oro Ibo,” lamented the skyrocketing prices of basic commodities, foreshadowing the challenges faced today. However, the tribulations of that era pale in comparison to the present-day reality. What haven’t we seen? What haven’t we said? What haven’t we done? We find ourselves trapped in a cycle of stagnation.

President Bola Amhed TINUBU was one of those old Politicians, who by all standard was assumed to know where the shoe pinches us as nation. He had done it in Lagos; turned it around for better. If there should be a list of those with the capacity to turn things around in Nigeria, he should be on top of it.

At his 69th birthday colloquium in Kano State in March 2021, he proffered a two-way solution to the problem plaguing us today when he said, though incoherently, “We are under-policed and we are competing with armed robbers and bandits to recruit from the youths who are unemployed —33 percent of them are unemployed.”

“Recruit 50 million youths into the army; what they will eat —cassava, corn, yam, will grow here. Don’t talk about illiteracy, anybody who can hold a gun, who can handle a gun, who can cock and shoot is technically competent to repair a tractor in the farm.”

Now, let’s not look at how Baba was conjuring ‘anybody who can handle a gun becoming technically competent to repair a tractor in the farm’. But how he identified and proffered solutions to our two areas of needs – Security and Food. He was talking of recruiting able-bodied unemployed Youths to fight insecurity while increasing our agricultural produce to provide for them. Had this been done, wouldn’t we have been better today as a nation? But no, insecurity today is higher and closer to you than imagined. Food security has been thrown into the dustbin! I regret not having enough to buying some  bags of Rice last  December 2023 when a bag was N40,000. Today, it is sold for N70,000.

President Bola Amhed TINUBU took money from the masses in the name of removing fuel subsidy and put it in the pockets of the Governments at the Central and the States to enhance their looting ability.

Removal of subsidy leaves fuel at N630 from N195 and now puts the money gained in the pocket of the very few that are now looting it as the spirit directs them. He took fuel and Dollars out of the reach of the commoners and put them in the pocket of the few political thieving elites.

The pains Nigerians are witnessing now are worse than in the era of fuel subsidies as the People are poorer than what it was before that move was made.

Worse still, the Government is still bereft of ideas on how to move us out of the quagmires as what the FG is planning is to open the National warehouse and distribute foods. Where are the trailers of Rice given to the Members of the National Assembly for distribution last December? It’s a circle- impoverish the masses at the altar of enriching the State.

It’s the same old blame game of new government blaming outgone of being responsible for everything that befalls it.  I’ll cite two prominent examples.

According to the former Emir of Kano State, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, one of President Tinubu’s allies, said: “If I am to be fair and just to President Bola Tinubu, he is not to blame for the current hardship; for eight years, we were living a fake lifestyle with huge debt from foreign and domestic debts.” Senator Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, said Nigerians are facing the hardship as the consequences of the “reckless” policies of Buhari’s administration. 

Smiles, Government in, Government out, it is the same old story. The Government boys will always come up with the story of how the Dollar they met at N500 becomes N1,400 under their watch. Yet, it is caused by the Government that came before them, the very Government they installed. They will not tell you about assets inherited but will be quick to overblown the liabilities but then whoever inherited assets should not complain about liabilities.

We are sitting on a keg of gunpowder in the country. How long shall the ordinary citizens tolerate this hardship? Mass resistance is building up. Politicians should be forewarned as the circle and the same old story can not continue as records are meant to be broken.