With Adetunji Ayobrown
Ask any Nigerian if the present economic situation in their dear country should be what it is or perhaps continue in another four years, you will be greeted with unpleasant replies, reasons, hungry man nko? You too will definitely answer, is ‘an angry man’.
Trust Nigerians any day on their preciseness and immediate responses on national issues; even someone wey no get food chop, get data for browsing and chatting’, we are more aware now – the social media went alight with reactions on news credited to Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed claiming that the government of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had fulfilled all the promises it made to Nigerians. Many condemned the minister for calling Nigerians ‘fools’ with his statement. Lai claimed and even argued that the Buhari-led Federal Government had met all its obligations to Nigerians. Is that really true? Your guess is as good as mine….and like most Nigerians would ask … where are the justifications? Someone even ask ‘Are you ready to continue like this for another four years? No, no and no was chorused as answers. Some went further to swear in their god’s name to reassure and reaffirmed their stance to anyone. Even Baba himself said ‘hard times await Nigeria’.
For there are many still in a dilemma about how we got to this sorry state in so short a time, and this is the repeated question being asked the Federal Government’s image maker… with no tangible or reasonable answer…than to inflict more injury with inflammable statements concerning Buhari’s re-election. Someone now think what Nigeria needs is his portrait….Ebi npa mi, Olose nkiri – sermon to hungry man is noise – Lai needs to understand, a friend tweeted.
Quoting the minister, “I made a portrait of Mr. President in five major Nigeria attires. One is in Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Efik and one in suit. It is reminiscent of the portrait we used during this campaign,” as if Buhari’s portrait will put food on the table of Nigerians. The crux of the matter is that government should provide employment or ensure adequate security….’Ile njona, ara ile wa nla gutter’ – misplacement of priority, many tweeted
According to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which categorically highlighted the country’s unemployment and underemployment figures between 2017 and 2018 alone as growing from 18.8 percent to 23.1 per cent…in just one year, but it is not alarming to our image maker but Buhari’s portrait. Considering the reality most Nigerians are facing today, the NBS report cannot be faulted. Yet, others simply dismissed the report as “fictional”, “panel beaten” and “screwed up” compilation to make a bad situation look presentable to the government.
For those not in tune with Nigerian news and events, ask the Yorubas, Hausas, Igbos, Efiks and others, I can assure you that they will surely rather prefer to see Buhari’s portrait on made in Nigeria N5000 bag of rice or beans in their native attires… Buhari’s portrait has no value when rice and beans sell for about N20,000 and N55,000 per bag respectively, a litre of petrol is N145/litre from N85 in less than four years….what a calamity?
‘Eranko ki gbawe’ – the belief is that hunger can easily turn men to beast. Imagine! How many fathers are among the NBS figure of 9.9 per cent or 900,000 of the 9.7 million considered unemployed reported. They did nothing wrong at all, because they were previously employed but lost their jobs at some point.
Many now know and agreed too with financial experts and analysts when they described the 2019 appropriation act as presented to legislators as ordinary document lacking necessary ingredients and capability to solve Nigeria’s economic woes but however, “…to the best of our knowledge, we presented a budget given the circumstances of our resources this year. We feel that is the best we can. It is left for the National Assembly to consider it,” was our minister’s submission.
Many normal Nigerians are faced with indecision, ‘where then do we go from here’ was pumping more than the needed blood in their veins. Do we allow APC to run away with gross incompetence and someone add salt to injury by insulting our common intelligence.
Imagine! The number of people classified as ‘unemployed’ grew from 17.6 million in the last quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million as at the third quarter of 2018… – ‘What is responsible for this increase’ will not be a bad question for patriotic Nigerians to ask.
Some are bound to agree with the minister’s claims, yes, but with a condition, – they too want to be feeding on Federal Government largesse like some cabinet members who think N30,000 minimum wage is too much for the Nigeria workers, after all ‘what is soup for the goose’ like they say ‘is also soup for the ganders’. In other words, the report that only about 900,000 of the unemployed people lost their jobs and remained without any work in the Nigerian economy in the last one year and equally, of the 9.7 million considered unemployed and did nothing at all, 35 per cent, or 3.4 million have been unemployed and did nothing at all for less than a year, while 17.2 per cent, or 1.6 million were for just a year. Again, about 15.7 per cent, or 1.5 million people had been unemployed and did nothing for two years, while the remaining 32.1 per cent, or 3.1 million unemployed persons had been unemployed doing nothing for three years and above.
And to be classified as unemployed, according to NBS, depend on the International Labour Organization (ILO) definition, which says the person must not only fall within the current labour force age population of between 15 to 64, but must be willing and able to work for a minimum of 40hour per week, but have no work to do. This is part of demands why Nigerian Labour Congress is threatening strike. Many wondered why ASUU walked out on FG but is the Labour Minister’s words anything to go by.
Nigerians are of the opinion that the report posted an increase of 3.3 million in unemployment rate in the last one year – from 17.6 million in the last quarter of 2017 to 20.9 million in the third quarter of 2018 gives room for serious concern – and that ‘any portrait is just and this time president’s portrait’…And that should rather less worry any country – anyone who inspire the priest and whore into actions should be taken serious was the message.
A stitch in time saves nine, is the watch words and to call spade, a spade, it is a case of ‘Iya Ibeji, omo re keji nko?’ …..is a popular saying/question among the people, a case of twins mother who never agrees to the fact that one of her twins is dead, but saying he travelled…who is fooling who?
We should let the Minister Lai know that what the people need is food on their table and not the president’s portrait. ##
*Ayobrown, Senior System Analyst, National Pilot Newspaper, writes via aayobrown@gmail.com
