Never have we had it this bad, all thanks to the adverse policies of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration. The grim statistics, the untold destitution and the widespread suffering in the land speak eloquently to the sordid pass at which our beloved country has arrived.
The #EndBadGovernance and #FearlessInOctober protests are a further affirmation and adumbration. They lucidly bring to the fore how Nigerians are hurting.
Against this unfortunate and unhappy backdrop, one would have thought that an address by the president, such as the one he rendered on the 64th anniversary of Nigeria’s independence, would address these serious concerns. One would have thought that such an address would reel out a slew of concrete measures to reduce the suffering of the people as well as imbue them with hope.
Instead, what we saw on television and read in cold print were grand but empty gestures. The speech also stood out for its hyperbole and chest-thumping.
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It is in order for leaders, especially in moments of despondency, to give hope to their citizens. But it is unpresidential to use a solemn occasion, such as an anniversary speech of our independence, to deploy statistics that simply do not add up, that are not in sync with reality or can be contested.
In attempting to paint a rosy and salubrious picture of an economy, in the doldrums, President Tinubu said: “Thanks to the reforms, our country attracted foreign direct investments worth more than $30 billion in the last year.” Recall that in his address on August 4, 2024, following the #EndbadGovernance protests, the president had said: ”Investors are coming back, and we have already seen Foreign Direct Investments signed over half billion dollars since then.”
Pray, when did this huge FDI of $29.5 billion take place? Which entities brought this miracle about? How come this has not impacted the economy positively? How does this square up with the sad picture of multinationals departing Nigeria in droves on account of a harsh operating environment and a naira in free fall?
When President Tinubu repeats his refrain that he feels our pain and that “I am deeply aware of the struggles many of you face in these challenging times”, he merely pays lip service. This is because his carryings-on and his comportment suggest otherwise. The undue value he sets on such things as the appurtenances and perks of office, and his inability to sacrifice by keeping a low profile, in tandem with the hard times and an economy which has since gone comatose, knock the bottom out of his claim.
In fact, if anything, and given that the speech did not address the concerns of Nigerians, as clearly enunciated and captured by the country’s bold and intrepid youths, it shows clearly that the president did not show empathy. He did not put himself in the shoes of suffering Nigerians. This position is amply fortified and supported by the president’s grand diversion, namely: the convocation of a conclave of youths for 30 days.
Remember that these same youths had harvested the concerns of their peers, and by extension, all Nigerians. Remember also that these same concerns were articulated and presented during the #EndBadGovernance protests of August. They were reiterated on October 1 on the platform of #FearlessInOctober. All that the President needed to do was to address, ad seriatim, these challenges, which afflict all Nigerians.
To convoke a youth conference at this juncture, and after two youth-driven protests, which resonate with all Nigerians, is a needless and costly diversion. One is inclined to conclude that it is another disingenuous ploy by the government to assemble a motley of youth groups which will then articulate what the government wants to hear or is music to its ears.
Convening such a jamboree is akin to putting good money in a terrible rat hole. Rather than embarking on such a costly misadventure, the government should invest the money to be expended on it in other areas that will touch the lives of Nigerians positively.
If convening a youth conference is superfluous and needless, the announcement of the conferment of national honours on presiding officers of the National Assembly and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) in the course of an independence anniversary address is an affront to Nigerians.
It is also a new low. Why did the president have to elevate such a mundane announcement, which ought to emanate from the Office of the Secretary to the Government to the Federation to form part of a hallowed independence anniversary address? Was it intended to ingratiate the president with these officers or to reward them for facilitating his deleterious policies? What have these officers accomplished to deserve these awards?
Even more galling is that of the CJN which came less than 48 hours after she was sworn in and after the president had solemnly vowed that he would not interfere with the Judiciary. Was this award then an about-face or a subtle incentive?
It is interesting to hear of President Tinubu saluting Nigerians for their can-do spirit in other jurisdictions. What has he done, in the past 16 months, to create an environment for the muscular expression of such gung-ho spirit in his country?
Dazang is a former director at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
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