An open letter to President Bola Tinubu on the cost of living

Your Excellency, this open letter is neither on personal sentiment nor an open criticism of your administration but the gospel truth to your sight or ears if it reaches you.

It’s undeniable, that your administration inherited a bankrupt country by the way the outgone Buhari administration badly managed the economy and left the country neck-deep in local and foreign debt.

But in fairness, the current hardship experienced by the citizens is largely caused by your administration’s fatal mistake of removing petrol subsidy at once.  Since then,   several attempts have been made to cushion the effects but all have gone in vain. As it is now, over 2/3 of the population is in dire need of food as each day the suffering is reaching an unbearable point and impoverished citizens have resorted to looting trucks of foodstuffs in some parts of the country.

In spite of Mr President’s intention to ease the suffering of the citizens through rolling out many palliative measures in his July 31 broadcast to the nation, these have not yielded any impact.

Some weeks ago, the president ordered the distribution of free grains from the Strategic Food Reserves but civil servants forgot to brief him that the reserves are empty.

With the removal of fuel subsidy, more money is being shared by the federal, state and local governments and some of it is changed into dollars at the parallel market.

The present administration fanatically believes in economic liberalism and market forces but forgets that even advanced countries subsidize the basic needs of their citizens.

Inflation has reached up to 30 per cent according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The administration wanted to restructure the economic sector, but it seemed the policies are not being implemented with a human face and it seems the administration does not feel for Nigerians.

President Tinubu needs to strive for good governance and ensure progress in five core principles of good governance that cut across transparency, accountability, participation, anti-corruption efforts, and the rule of law. No one should be above the power of government and if the administration has a genuine intention to ease the hardship it can do so by shifting gears away from total economic liberalism and free market forces.

With all sense of respect for you and your office, there is a difference between admitting the problems and bringing a lasting solution. Taking personal responsibility for the pains poor people are going through is courageous but offering lasting solutions toward alleviating the problems is most needed.

Mr. President and his appointees should have it at the back of their minds that “a hungry man is an angry man.” Nigerians want to have genuine solace, not Mr President’s acknowledgement of the hardships the citizens are going through.

Abba Dukawa, resides Kano, [email protected]