Nigerians have been attributed with their doggedness and flexibility to stomach all kinds of hardship thrown at them, but the striking significance of this current economic situation is that they can no longer expand beyond this stage. It has definitely reached the boiling point, and NLC is keen on making their voice heard with the economic reality in Nigeria, with the protests scheduled to hold on 27 and 28 of February respectively. The protests have long been coning, it is the summary of the living condition in the country, things have significantly gone out of control, whether the blame is on past administration or the incumbent administration, Nigerians want to enjoy the dividends of democracy and embrace better economic environment.
The effect of hasty removal of fuel subsidy has failed to materialize, all the talks and hype about removal of subsidy, which dominated pre-elections discussion among the leading candidates, and implemented by the president Tinubu led administration has not gone as envisaged, and the decision to float naira has left the currency in comatose. Hyperinflation has become the order of the day, citizens are not guaranteeing whether they will buy the same commodity they bought in the morning, the same price in the evening, that’s how the situation has turned into, it is fast eating deep across the country and, insecurity is a another flame that ignite myriads of problems the country has already plagued with. And Nigeria Labour Congress is hoping to achieve gains with their protests.
Calls have been made for the NLC to disembark and shelve the planned protests, citing the disorder it will cause rather than effecting any positive outcome that will advance the economic wounds. Nigeria’s foremost human right lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has written a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation, Lateef Fegbemi, to provide protection for the demonstrators amid the planned protests by NLC, as the hardship has shown no sign of subsidising. This letter is in tandem with section 83(4) of the Police Establishment Act, which empowers the Minister of Justice to provide security cover for the demonstrators. Mr Falana, in the other hand admonished the NLC to conduct themselves peacefully and jettison any form of violence.
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The economic situation has thrown the country into chaos of thoughts, majority number of federal legislators have recently suggested a move away from presidential system of government to parliament system of government, which was practiced in the early days of the country. Former President Olusegun Obasanjo said there is nothing wrong with the presidential system, adding that Nigerians do not play by the rules. Chief Obasanjo further said at the launching of a book titled, ‘Court and Politics,’ written by Dr. Umar Ardo, a former associate of the ex-Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, that over 80 per cent of Nigeria’s crude oil were stolen.
Oil theft in the Niger Delta area of Nigeria has continued to have a deep toll not only in the country’s economy but unable to reach their required quota in crude oil production. Former President continued, crude oil theft is one of reasons the Nigerian economy would be in ruins. He said over 1.7 million are stolen, while the crude oil quota was about two million barrels per day.
The former Chairman of Northern Elder Forum and ex-Vice Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University(ABU) Prof Ango Abdullahi in his assessment of Nigeria leadership scored the country F9 he said “Enough is enough of our failure; we must agree that we failed enough. He continued “I visited Dantata and he was very angry with me, saying the people of the North have failed the North and Nigeria. Until the North accepts that they have failed the North and sit together to discuss the way forward, there won’t be progress. “We gathered in 1978 when we wanted to return to civilian rule. We were to discuss why the system of 1961 failed but we were shocked when they said the parliamentary system of government was not going to be discussed and that we should go for the federal system of government. “And they gave us two options: that of the French and America. And now we have practised the presidential system for 24 years and it has failed and I will score it F9.“Time has come for us to go back to the drawing board so that we can save this country.”
Nigeria Customs Service had intercepted and seized trailers of food items en route to Nigeria’s neighbours, and proceeded to sell the food items at a minimal rate to cushion the effect of rising cost of living. It turned out to be unfortunate outcome as stampede arose, and about seven people lost their lives trying to purchase the seized food items.
There is no trajectory to the discovery, young Nigerians have been thrown spanners in the work, NLC planned protests will gain momentum as the course they are championing is good one, they are indirectly representing the minds of majority of Nigerians, Nigerians are saying that they can no longer expand, Nigerians have lost their elasticity.
