When the All Progressives Congress (APC) dislodged then ruling Folks’s Democratic Occasion within the 2015 presidential polls and a taciturn, supposedly no-nonsense Normal Muhammadu Buhari emerged as president, many Nigerians thought the nation was a number of steps away from attaining El-dorado. Eight years after Buhari’s tenure, we now know higher.
The Buhari administration couldn’t fight corruption, retool the economic system and tackle insecurity- the three key issues he promised Nigerians. Corruption festered, the economic system was battered and safety was in deplorable form for a major a part of his eight-year rule.
In saner climes, victory for the ruling APC would have been a herculean process as a result of it turned clear after the Buhari years that the celebration merely deceived Nigerians. As a matter of truth, most Nigerians imagine, and maybe rightly so, that moderately than transfer the nation ahead, the APC set the nation on a reverse gear.
The truth that the ruling APC nonetheless obtained one other alternative to control Nigeria has additional shredded any iota of doubt that Nigeria is a nation of paradox.
In opposition to all odds
In opposition to all odds, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu clinched the APC ticket to contest the presidential election after his well-known ’emi lokan’ speech. In opposition to all odds, he emerged victorious eventually 12 months’s presidential election and as must be anticipated, his victory, like that of those that occupied the workplace earlier than, was contested. All that, as they are saying, is now historical past.
In about seven days’ time, PBAT will mark one 12 months in workplace. As normal, questions are being requested about his stewardship within the final 356 days he has spent in workplace. Certainly, it’s a 12 months of blended emotions for many Nigerians.
As PBAT marks one 12 months in workplace, how has he fared to this point? What did he promise Nigerians? Is he delivering on such guarantees? If not, will we belief him to ship?
Guarantees galore
In his inaugural speech, PBAT promised to “defend the nation from terror and all types of criminality that threaten the peace and stability of our nation…” at the same time as he pledged to “transform our economic system to result in development and growth by job creation, meals safety and put an finish of maximum poverty”
About one 12 months after these phenomenal pledges, elements of Plateau, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina, Kogi, Ogun, Ekit and Kaduna States, amongst others, are nonetheless experiencing terror assaults by parts that kill, maim, abduct for ransom amongst different prison acts that make life brutish for residents. The administration has not accomplished sufficient in combating insecurity. Pure and easy!
And poverty? This has by no means been this rife. Within the final one 12 months, seeing Nigerians, particularly college students, girls and kids, undergo the humiliation of queuing up for rice and different palliative gadgets has change into a standard prevalence. Folks died attempting to entry these so-called palliatives as a result of the federal government’s insurance policies have thrown extra Nigerians into hardship and starvation.
For a nation with huge agricultural potential within the midst of expertise to spice up meals manufacturing, it’s disconcerting that Nigerians are nonetheless grappling with a problem as rudimentary as starvation.
The PBAT administration vowed to safe rural incomes by making certain that commodity trade boards assure minimal costs for sure crops and animal merchandise. In reality, the president additionally promised to undertake a “nationwide programme for storage and different amenities to scale back spoilage and waste.
“Agricultural hubs can be created all through the nation to extend manufacturing and interact in value-added processing. The livestock sector can be launched to finest fashionable practices and steps taken to attenuate the perennial battle over land and water sources on this sector. By these actions, meals shall be made extra ample but more cost effective. Farmers shall earn extra whereas the typical Nigerian pays much less” PBAT stated in his inaugural speech.
As a result of meals has but to be made extra ample and Nigerians proceed to pay extra for meals and different necessities one 12 months after the president’s pledge, like most Nigerians, I ask how far to this point?
Harsh insurance policies
The final one 12 months of the Tinubu presidency is characterised by endless hardship as exemplified by rise in price of dwelling, insecurity and unemployment arising from unfriendly insurance policies.
PBAT eliminated gas subsidy with out successfully planning for technique of cushioning its impacts, devalued the Naira and hiked rate of interest regardless of observing in his inaugural speech that “rates of interest have to be decreased to extend funding and shopper buying in ways in which maintain the economic system at a better stage”. All of those, together with the electrical energy tariff hike, amongst different components, resulted in galloping inflation of 33%, and meals inflation price of about 40%.
Not solely have these unfriendly insurance policies induced a cost-of-living disaster; they’ve made the enterprise atmosphere very unfriendly for a lot of, particularly small and medium enterprises, leading to spike within the nation’s unemployment and poverty charges.
Out there statistics point out that 63% of Nigerians are multidimensionally poor within the midst of over 30% unemployment price. For an administration that promised to honour its marketing campaign dedication of 1 million new jobs within the digital economic system, the present unemployment price is certainly sickening.
It’s true that the federal government launched a N35,000 wage award to staff for six months as palliative to cushion the impression of gas subsidy removing. The implementation of this was nonetheless fraught with allegations of irregularities within the midst of issues that such was not all-inclusive, as most states defaulted.
It’s true that the federal government launched a money switch of N25, 000 to the poorest and weak households for 3 months as palliative to cushion the impression of gas subsidy removing. That too was fraught with irregularities and widespread allegations of sharp practices within the face of a transparent lack of social register.
It’s true that the federal government introduced the disbursement of a N50billion conditional grant to merchants, meals distributors, creatives, artisans amongst others. However how far to this point?
It’s true that after some repeated postponements, the federal government lastly introduced the take-off of the scholars’ mortgage scheme to offer equal entry to larger training to all Nigerians. However this too has been impeded by the declaration “that solely college students of federal authorities owned establishments will get it for now”.
The federal government claimed it launched 42,000 Metric tons of grains without cost distribution to essentially the most weak individuals. There’s nothing to counsel that such a amount of foodstuff has been distributed. Unhappy, however that’s the actuality.
Coverage reversal
After which, the final one 12 months of the Tinubu administration was marked with coverage inconsistency arising largely from failure to critically assess insurance policies earlier than their official pronouncement.
And the checklist of such coverage reversals is lengthy. Is it the expatriate employment levy which was launched on February 27, 2024 and suspended in March? Or the seeming reintroduction of gas subsidy after the broadly publicized ‘subsidy is gone’ declaration? There’s additionally the introduction of tax and withdrawal of the identical nearly instantly.
Abrupt reversal of coverage impedes development and says quite a bit about how unprepared a authorities is. Sadly, that is among the defining options of the Tinubu administration to this point. However what do you anticipate from somebody whose biggest incentive to aspire for the primary workplace within the land is his flawed perception that it’s his flip?
Labour’s N615,000 Wage Request
Organised Labour’s demand for N615,000 minimal wage makes the employees appear like jesters as a result of it isn’t lifelike, and the labour management is aware of that too properly. FG’s supply of N54,000 is disdainful. Whereas the negotiation with the federal government continues, Labour should be severe for as soon as and make a requirement that ‘frequent sense can comprehend’.
The Nigerian authorities can’t maintain a N615,000 minimal wage. Not now; not within the close to future. The rational factor is for Labour to insist on social welfare insurance policies like subsidies on housing, training, healthcare and transportation. These are the gadgets that take a big chunk of staff’ pay. Labour ought to negotiate with the federal government on subsidizing these sectors. Till that’s accomplished, wage enhance will proceed to be meaningless.