(Published by The Southerner, Saturday, April 19, 2025)

Since inception of the APC-led federal government and establishment of its economic team in 2023, I have not witnessed any seriousness on their part. For the majority of Nigerians, they exist in a vacuum. The economy till date has not shown any sign of positive results, depicting that there are eggheads in control.

Like we say in our local parlance, the street don red! Fela Anikulapo-Kuti sang years ago before his death; ‘ordinary food for man nko o, e no dey… .’ The Nigerian economic situation is troubling. It is made worse because there is no application of any known solution at resolving the economic crisis by the government in power.

We are all barred to the philistine, according to my favourite political analyst, Jimi Disu. There is no light at the end of the tunnel. Very dangerous.

None of their economic policies, if any, have resolved or appear to be resolving the economic difficulties ravaging the entire landscape called Nigeria.

A visit to any of our markets to purchase food items will bring sorrows, tears and blood to our eyes. Why? How would the ‘wretched of the earth’ feed?

The poorest of the country’s citizens are passing through thorns and thickets, just to eke a living. And there’s no solution in sight. It is that terrible.

The prices of food items in the market and shops for the home have gone to the rooftops. N10, 000 cannot feed a family of five comfortably for breakfast. Not at all. They have to deny themselves of some basic essentials to get something into the stomach.

A country that is so blessed with all kinds of foods yet, her people are starving shows the emptiness of its leadership. This government lacks an organized and functioning economic team. Since 2015, when APC assumed power, there’s no identifiable path taken, aimed at solving the economic pains people are experiencing except display of rhetorics.

When an economic team of a sitting government allows prices of essential commodities to keep skyrocketing, then they have no business being in office or retaining their positions.

The government ought to do something radical in crashing prices of essential commodities. It requires immediate remedy because the situation is getting out of hand.

This government must invest and give every support at ensuring the availability of food items and pharmaceutical products at affordable prices. Many have died and are still dying because families could not buy drugs for their ailing members.

Nigerians are dying in droves as they lack financial power to purchase essentials. Without citizens healthy living, there cannot be talk of a wealthy nation. No decent, patriotic and focused government would allow her citizens to die so cheaply.

When the economic team and leadership of the country have not realized that there is urgent need for the security agencies to dismantle kidnappers and insurgents, and allow farmers gain free access to their farms, I wonder what the government is in that office for?

There is absolutely nothing spectacular about this economic team of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. If till date, they cannot arrest the skyrocketing prices of food items and pharmaceutical products, and the soaring floatation of the naira, let them resign.

President Tinubu must be told in clear terms that there is serious hunger in the land. Every nook and cranny of the country, people are lamenting about the high cost of basic items.

The president should be told that, ordinary sicknesses are killing the citizens he was elected to govern. He just has to buckle up to find a solution to an existing calamity.

Why won’t this government work assiduously to stabilize electricity? Stability of power is key to creating jobs and reducing poverty. With constant power, many low and medium industries will spring up.

Poor African countries experience constant power supply. Why not Nigeria?

My friend and former governor of Lagos, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, once boasted that constant power supply will be available when APC is in government. APC has been in power since 2015. What has changed?

There is no sign that this government would do anything different from that of former President Muhammadu Buhari. From all indications, we will remain in this darkness for such a long time as there seems to be no sign of solution from the government to tackle the barrier.

The NNPCL has remained an empty shell. All NNPCL does is hold and attend meetings. Yet, huge salaries and allowances are paid monthly.

None of the nation’s refineries owned by the FG are working. This government appears not to be doing anything to resurrect any of the refineries. How can there be reduction in poverty and hardship when the country is 100% dependent on local private and foreign refineries? Yet, we have large quantities of crude? What rocket science is needed for the refining of these products?

The government has refused to eliminate corruption in the oil sector and allow it to function optimally. It is a shame that in the midst of plenty, we lack. No Nigerian should go to bed hungry except by choice. But the bad leadership over the years has wrecked the country. Why shy away from the realities of the moment?

That the President and all VIPs often travel overseas for medical reasons is a disgrace and proof of leadership failure. What is the essence of the 0M0inistry of Health, if they cannot organize and fix our health sector?

We are losing a whole lot of resources and manpower to other countries in the guise of the japa syndrome. We have well trained and experienced doctors and nurses but the poor facilities and pay in our health institutions are discouraging.

Our collapsed industries that should attract the government’s interest are an eyesore. . For instance, the Aladja and Ajaokuta steel complexes that are in comatose state do not augur well. Definitely not in the best interest of the country. But they can be revived. The country’s leadership must think in that direction if we must make hay. We have quite a lot of areas that can be utilized to create wealth for the citizens and the country.

Nigeria cannot continue to roll backwards, while other countries are marching forward. There is no curse dragging us back. It is purely the failure of leadership across the board that has created serious poverty in the land.

Our economic team should stop talking about rebasing the economy. They should fix it or quit immediately.