I hope our president, with his age and the cabal as his problems, has time to read this sincere letter that has no political motive but advice. Thank you.
Captain Sadauki (rtd)
0802 858 7750
President Tinubu did not make a mistake by removing petroleum subsidies and the unification of exchange rate; it was the boldest decision. It was Gowon that made the mistake of introducing fuel subsidies. You don’t subsidise consumption because it will be abused, but you can subsidise production because of its multiplier effects. The problem is our refusal to invest massively in technical education and in science and technology, like China did in the 1950s and 1960s, which led to their technical knowhow. This is coupled by our overdependence on imports for everything we need, and population out-growing our economic growth. The multinationals that come to invest come with their equipment, machines and raw materials in mind to benefit their country and not to develop our economy. For us to develop, we must re-engineer our economy. Secondly, you suggest massive employment of youths which is good, but you did not follow it up with how to fund it.
Abdulrahman Jimoh
0806 560 7839
I thank you for the Letter to President Bola Tinubu. If the president is not hard to accept the truth, you have solved his problems by ushering in new formulas for his warped sense of administration.
0916 660 9372
Suleiman, thanks for the column. I keep Nigeria, my only country, in prayers. And all hands must be on deck to protect the country from the organisers of the so-called peaceful protests. May ALLAH guide our leaders and bless the country really well. –
Muhammadu Kudu Maisanda, Bida, Niger State
07066505969
Salam Mallam Suleiman. I read your article more than once today. You are just on point, especially with regard to removal of fuel subsidies. And also, the government should encourage or build local industries on all products that we import with clear and precise timelines. So, I am a big customer of Mentos chewing gum. I store the containers when I finish eating them, hoping to send them back to the company to recycle but yesterday when I checked where it was produced, to my amazement, I saw Netherlands. Ordinary chewing gum! And I said Ikon Allah sai kallo. Mun zama abin kallo.
Ruqaiyah Saidu Abubakar
0803 613 0590
The government’s preoccupation now is how the protests could be stopped. As you rightly suggested, it is not too late. The president can reverse the three bad policies he slammed on Nigerians on assumption of office and the citizens would be relieved of the fever currently being experienced.
- N. Baraka
0803 618 6001
Good day! I saw your long letter to Mr President concerning the so-called protest and want to congratulate you on the beautiful piece. The message it carries is phenomenal. Please can you send the write-up to me on WhatsApp while retaining your authorship? Thank you.
I’m Sani Wada
0916 403 1874
Good afternoon, sir. l am Barrister Yahaya Muazu Maifata, from Lafia, Nasarawa State. I just read your open letter to Mr President via Daily Trust Newspaper. It is highly interesting and the right thing for Mr President to do now to palliate the hardship in the land and shelve the planned protest is to return subsidies in the oil industry. Thank you, sir. May Allah increase your knowledge and wisdom.
0806 527 4455
Salamun Alaikum. Thanks for the piece to the president on the protests. I hope he listens and acts decisively, or regrets his obduracy.
0803 786 6444
I thoroughly went through your open letter to the president. It was germane as well as concise. No beating about the bush. The trouble with the president is his penchant for allowing only his political lapdogs to feed him with false narratives of what is really happening. I must say, as a democrat, Tinubu has failed in this approach.
Thank you, Suleiman, for telling the truth to power which is rare these days.
Baba Inusa
Re On hardship protests
You really got it right. All the fire brigade measures put in place by the government failed to work because they were not meant to do the magic. Just imagine the free fertiliser distribution to farmers was completely scammed by a particular local government in Nasarawa State. Half the consignments were not distributed and even the fractions that were distributed missed the intended targets. Real farmers, recognised groups and associations like AFAN (All Farmers Association of Nigeria) were not given even a bag. Distributions to cronies were made at midnight. It has been the practice in this particular local government anytime palliatives are provided by both state and federal government. Officials of this particular local government usually sell out some fractions and give out the remaining to selected few party members. The suffering is just too much in the country under this government of BAT. The government will surely not get it right by blaming the opposition and past governments.
AIMS, Nasarawa State
0915 885 8191
Good day Sir. Your article “On hardship protests” was very apt and timely. As you said, the government is busy distracting itself and chasing shadows. How I wish they knew.
0806 241 7828
Re: On Hardship protests
Good afternoon, sir. I write to support your column today. The write-up is timely and a warning to the political class. Our politicians and leaders are not too sensitive to the plight of the poor. Most politicians don’t know why they joined politics, why they won and how they won. They just find themselves in offices they contest. Even during their campaigns, they should have known that people are hungry. As you observed, the hunger didn’t start today. The political class misread the happenings in the land and took Nigerians for a ride. Bandits occupy villages and stop people from farming. Yet, the political class does little or nothing about it. The political class swims in wealth and cares less about the poor. The palliative that was given or shared went to the wrong hands. Price control would have been part of the palliative. Even in this situation, money disappears into private pockets and nothing happens to alleged offenders. The protests would have targeted the political class, especially the legislators who go home with jumbo salaries. The trader and marketer who tries to make ends meet is the person that his/ her shop is burnt or looted. The looters should go to the National Assembly/ Legislative Quarters and meet with them; not the common man on the streets. With agitators going their separate ways, the protest will be too dangerous at this point. May God help Nigeria at this trying period.
Abraham G. Machu
0707 021 0700
In my own view, protest will not be a solution to the hardship in the country. It is like adding more salt to injury. Even though the inflation rate is above 40 per cent, the disadvantages of the protest are many such that businesses would stagnate. There might probably be destruction and a lot of other unexpected things. The only solution is for Nigerians to be patient and pray to God. And to the government, let there be food security.
Ibrahim Biu Adamu
08081003000
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