After 10 days of protests and contentious exchanges between citizens and the government, it is imperative for state governments to take decisive action.
The situation is dire, darkening and blemishing. are dying because of hunger, and some are forced to eat grass to survive.
The rhetorical question on everyone’s mind is, are we truly appreciative of the gravity of this situation? Is this the reward for citizens who have entrusted their leaders with their welfare? The president’s apparent indifference to the citizens’ plight has shifted the burden to governors to act.
It is time for governors across the country to declare a state of emergency on hunger. This will enable them to allocate resources, coordinate efforts, and implement effective measures to alleviate the suffering of their citizens. All non-essential projects in respective states should be terminated, and the focus should be on addressing this humanitarian crisis.
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Building roads or bridges is meaningless when people are struggling to survive due to hunger. The consequences of inaction will be severe.
While declaring a state of emergency on hunger may enable governors to focus on addressing this crisis, it is crucial that leaders in the country recognise their broader responsibility to their citizens. They must remember that they will be held accountable for every unacceptable situation their people face during their leadership tenure on the Day of Judgment.
Rather than waiting for circumstances to worsen, they should take proactive steps to address the hunger crisis and other pressing issues.
The citizens are beginning to lose hope due to the government’s inaction in addressing their plight, which is a tragic and dire situation. If the president remains unwilling to reconsider his decision on the reversal of fuel and dollar subsidies, who then is responsible for alleviating the suffering of the citizens? Is it not the duty of well-meaning individuals and leaders to ease the hardship?
Fortunately, the president’s response during the protest crisis revealed that governors across the country are receiving huge increments in their grants, courtesy of the funds saved from the removal of subsidies. However, the question that remains here is, where is this money being allocated? What are the governors doing with these funds to alleviate the suffering and hardships of their citizens?
Sale Rusulana Yanguruza wrote from Borno State University
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