By Bala Ibrahim
As a nation, Nigeria is passing through uncountable challenges, persuading people to make uncountable permutations. Some palatable, while others are perilous and petrifying. The general picture painted is that all is bad in the country. While I agree that indeed things are bad, very bad, but methinks, not everything is bad in a bad situation. There is always a room for salvation.
Already, pursuant to this conversation of the Nigerian bad situation, the country’s vocabulary has been enriched by a new word-“japa”, which my Yoruba friends told me stands loosely for, Run away or Escape. Japa has come to replace Andrew checks out, which was the nickname given to Enebeli Elebuwa, who acted the role of Andrew, in the popular TV commercial that captivated the imagination of the whole Nigerian nation, during the military administration of General Muhammadu Buhari. In the TV commercial, Andrew looked self-assured and fully determined to quit Nigeria, the country of his birth, which then turned out to be the place where nothing was working0. No electricity supply, the telephone system was quenched, the public water supply was quenched, the health system had collapsed, the roads were dead and the railway system was decayed. The general picture painted then was that, all was bad in the country, and Andrew felt that he was leaving for greener pastures abroad: that was what “checking out” meant.
Decades after, and after the tenure of many Nigerian leaders, including the very Buhari, who came back to power as an elected President, and one in whose time Nigeria was first nicknamed, the country to be exited or checked out of, for the lack of functional facilities, the same poor Nigeria is again being bad-mouthed. As a country, the picture painted is that, it is bad, including it’s leadership, which some want changed.
Femi Falana, SAN, the Nigerian lawyer and Human Rights activist, had sometimes ago released an article about what he called, The state of the Nation, captioned, Catalogue of lootings in Nigeria. He started thus, globally, subsidies, whether for food, transportation, energy or housing, are part of good governance. So, the issue is not subsidies but who benefit from them. Falana painted the sins of Nigeria, alongside the multiple thefts and thieveries committed on the poor nation and it’s poverty stricken people. From the beginning to the end of his submission, Femi Falana was painting the picture of a country that is confiscated by corruption.
There are multiple reports, detailing the exodus of employers and employees. Multinational corporations are reported to be leaving the shores of Nigeria in quantum. And all these are pursuant to the believe that, the country is in a bad situation. According to the Daily trust newspaper of today, investigation has shown that Nigeria is losing 20 to 40 per cent of its rice at harvest points and market stages. This is aside the additional implications for climate change, which is accounting for emissions of around 0.65 million tonnes of CO2, into the atmosphere. This is clearly an indication of the abundance of plenty to eat, but plenty are hungry due to poor management.
When asked about his feelings for the Tinubu administration, Chief Audu OgOgbeh, former Minister of Agriculture and Food Security of Nigeria said, “I sympathise with him. But I am also saying this, in 1982, I was minister of communications. The pressure on us then was to devalue the naira. Shagari’s two economic advisers, Prof Edozien, he is late now and Prof Odama, from Kogi, he is still alive, they warned Shagari that if he did it, they would resign and leave. Chief Awolowo warned us also that this was a trap and once we stepped into it, we will never get out.
Apart from Chief Ogbeh, other prominent people have made postulations and permutations. The protesters have protested and the President has made promises. While some are saying all is bad, some are saying, not everything is bad in a bad situation.
In a chat with the Minister of Information, Mr. Mohammed Idris Malagi, who had gone to select media houses for sensitization of the press, with regards the Nigerian situation, the Chairman and Editor-in Chief of the THISDAY-ARISE Media Group, Prince Nduka Obaigbena, was unequivocal with words. He told the Minister that the Tinubu administration’s actions have failed to communicate to Nigerians, about the dire straits the country is in. With details, he elaborated on the painful and distressing situation of the country. In a nutshell, Prince Nduka Obaigbena said, the condition of the country is bad and his boss is lost in the search for solutions.
“People say you’re not communicating – you are communicating, you are here. But the communication you are not doing is, communication by example. Look at National Assembly, the way they live, the way they conduct themselves, does not show that we are in trouble. So, at least, you had no car when you came here, but there are people who come with outriders. So, let our communication mechanism also be by action – action of government actors to show that things are bad.”- Obaigbena.
Perhaps, this was what prompted the President, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to summon the first meeting of the National Council of States, since he assumed office last year, 2023. According to the Governor of Kwara state, AbdulRahman AbdulRazak, it was a meeting of frank discussion, where everything was X-rayed, at the end of which, the President was given a vote of confidence.
The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, who was also at the meeting, said, he reported encouraging progress in the economy under President Tinubu’s leadership, saying the country is on track financially and economically. Report of security and stability were also submitted by the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. It was also received with ovation. All these are signs that, not everything is bad in a bad situation.
The President has recently signed the new minimum wage bill into law. That would see the lowest worker on the ladder going home with a minimum of N70,000 Naira monthly. That is good, very good. The President has also increased the salaries and allowances of judicial officers by 300%. That is also good, very good. However, when juxtaposed with the recent statement by the Lawmaker representing Kano South, Distinguished Senator Kawu Sumaila, that he alone earns over N21m monthly as a total take-home package, the situation of Nigeria can easily be described as, indescribable.
As patriotic Nigerians, we should not throw away the baby and the bath water. Our task is to understand the situation of the country and have additional confidence on our leaders, who would navigate us to the shores of safety. Because, not everything is bad in a bad situation.