A time for patience and understanding

Speaking recently while receiving the Executive Director and Under Secretary General of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Professor Babatunde Osotimehin at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari said the crash in world oil prices has suddenly made Nigeria a poor country, admitting that the past one year has been very difficult for his administration. Also lamenting over the current hardship being faced by Nigerians, the Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs in Nigeria (SCIAN), said: ‘there is suffering in the land,’ urging government to fashion out measures that would ameliorate the plight of Nigerians.
It is therefore, no longer news in Nigeria that hard times are really here. They are biting hard. It is really tough for most Nigerians. As if it were an epidemic, even those who appeared financially comfortable before now as well as the rich are all complaining of the endemic hard times. The current hardship is largely occasioned by the unforeseen and sudden crash in the price of crude oil as well as the collapse of the naira. The situation is further worsened by the financial burden placed on the country’s economy by the fight against insurgency and militancy. These three factors, combined together, are impacting negatively on Nigeria’s economy.
Some indicators of the current economic recession include inflation, weakness in the purchasing power of the naira, cost of running businesses as well as the collapse of small businesses. Unemployment is also a by-product of this untimely economic downturn that Nigerians are passing through. It is untimely because it is happening at a time when the country has a leadership that is genuinely committed to fighting corruption, particularly the flagrant abuse of public trust by government officials (elected and appointed). As creatures who are amenable to trails as destined by Allah (SWT), we are far from choosing when and how hard times should befall us. Allah (SWT) states in Qur’an 2:155 that: “Be sure we shall test you with something of fear and hunger; some loss in goods or lives or fruits (of your toil); but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere.” Allah (SWT) has promised to reward those who resort to patience in adverse situations.
Although only a one-digit percentage of Nigerians whose betrayal of public trust, dishonesty, lack of patriotism and personal indiscipline plunged the country into its current woes; it is all Nigerians, young and old, men and women who are now paying the price for the failed leaderships of the past. The most disturbing of the challenges posed by the hard times is the high cost of food items. Unlike clothes, newspapers, wristwatches or foot wears that can be ignored when times are hard, food is a necessary requirement for the survival of every living creature, including mankind; and therefore, cannot be ignored.
Prices of foodstuff, especially rice, guinea corn, maize, cassava flour and other essential commodities, including tomatoes, sugar, palm oil, groundnut oil, ‘maggi’ cubes and similar seasonings, have all gone high; almost out of the reach of ordinary people. Yet, the payment of workers’ salaries which value has significantly been reduced by inflation has become very irregular in most states of the federation, adding more to the hardship experienced by workers, and by extension, petty traders because it is when workers take their pay that they are able to sell their commodities. 
One irony that deserves mention in this narrative of hard times relates to the activities of middle-men who take undue advantage of the situation to exploit poor Nigerians. These middle-men have caused prices of foodstuff to be higher than they should. They connive with main suppliers or dealers to hike prices of commodities; constituting themselves into a sort of artificial market forces. This is a grievous sin in the sight of Allah (SWT) as anyone who by words or actions makes life difficult for others shall have his own life made difficult by Allah (SWT). According to the teachings of the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW), it is not in the character of a sincere believer to wish for his fellow brother that which he detests for himself. Every human being detests suffering. Any attempt therefore to cause or increase hardship for others through exploitation is tantamount to wishing them that which is universally abhorred.
Over-coming tough economic times requires patience and understanding. Ours is not the first generation and shall not be the last to be tried. Nations have, in the past, been tried with even worse challenges. But with patience, they survived. With patience and understanding, marriages will survive the toughest of challenges. Women as wives should be patient with their respective husbands in times like this. Men as husbands, too, should fear Allah (SWT) in the management of their limited resources without subjecting their family members to unjustified hardships. Husbands and wives must not leave their matrimonial homes open to the evil consequences of a national tragedy called economic recession. Parents also have a duty to advise their married children to resist attempts by poverty to spread hatred in their homes instead of love; mistrust instead of trust, and suspicion instead of confidence.
As Nigerian citizens, let us keep hope alive and pray for the success of the President Buhari-led administration which in-spite of all the goodwill it came on board with; is having difficult times to fulfil its campaign promises. Were it not for dwindling revenues, I guess, welfare packages that include the employment of 500,000 graduate teachers under the N-power scheme would have since been concluded. Let us, as exhorted by Qur’an 39:53 “…Despair not in the mercy of Allah…” May Allah (SWT) guide us to patiently persevere through the hard times as we also pray that He (SWT) guides our current crop of leaders to take Nigeria out of its current economic predicaments, amin.