Lighten our burdens this New Year – Nigerians tell govt

…Policies must wear human face – Varsity don

…‘FG must seek to impress Nigerians not IMF, World Bank’

This time last year, Nigerians earnestly called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lighten their burdens, as his economic policies were suffocating them, amid high inflation and unbearable cost living.

Once again, the majority of the populace are still making the same call this year as they barely survived the immediate past year and wished not to experience such gruesomeness again.

From the incessant hike in fuel pump price across the past year, which resulted in steady hike in the prices of commodities, especially food items, to hike in electricity tariff, growing unemployment, as well as insecurity that keeps taking deadlier dimensions, the citizenry was on edge, amid anticipation of harsher realities ahead.

Having given the President, his team and their policies over a year, many want results that will lighten their burdens and usher a new lease of life to them this year.

For many, the President and the managers of the economy have to do everything possible to make the economic policies to start yielding fruits this year to alleviate the suffering of the masses, who have been at the mercy of the economy.

As expected, President Tinubu, during the Presidential Chat penultimate Monday, assured that his administration was targeting to reduce inflation to 15 percent this year, but many have expressed doubt as the promise to free the excess money from fuel subsidy removal to cater for the citizens seems unfulfilled considering the level of hardship in the land.

According to Peter Ogaga, a Niger Delta human right activist, the present administration has to be sincere with Nigerians on how the subsidy money is being spent or else, it will toe the same wasteful ways of previous administrations that squandered the little we had, instead of planning ahead.

“Forget about the queues at the airports by passengers travelling for the festive season. Many more couldn’t afford rice and chicken last festive season. Many Nigerians suffered last year and we are asking Mr. President and his team to lighten our burden because if you think you are rich now, requests from many relations, friends and even enemies, will impoverish you within a year,” Ogaga said.

Considering that many families struggled to put food on their table last year, Marcel Tamuno, a marine engineer and Port Harcourt-based seafarer, is asking President Tinubu to fight food inflation in 2025 to enable many mouths to feed as the level of begging by many who couldn’t afford daily meals was very high last year. He also observed that the widespread requests for assistance from Nigerians in 2024, put many supposedly benefactors, who are also facing the harsh economy, under intense pressure.

“It is becoming embarrassing the way people beg for alms, especially money for food. The requests are not only from your relations, but they come from all angles- friends, people in your estate, your mechanic, barber, tailor, shop attendants and even co-workers and strangers.

“It is a sad reflection of the harsh situation out there and the government should, as a matter of urgency, do something to address hunger in the land this year,” Tamuno said.

Tamuno also called on the government not to weaponise hunger as the people who have severally been pushed to the wall, might pull a surprise that will change the Nigerian political landscape forever this year.

“They say that ‘he who is already down fears no fall’; the masses have been down for a long time. Allowing hunger to persist in the land is like a keg of gunpowder that can explode any time,” he warned.

For Onyewuchi Akagbule, a senior lecturer at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, as much as the present administration is bent on ensuring full implementation of its economic policies, it should also do that responsibly and with human face, not leaving out measures that will ensure quick recovery or negate the essence of the policies.

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“The Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP) of the military regime is obviously back through the back door. But political leaders and government officials seem not to be part of the belt-tightening thing; only the masses are feeling it.

“Mr. President and others in Aso Rock and government houses in the states should adjust as well, especially this 2025. You cannot share bags of local rice when you eat foreign brands, you cannot travel abroad for medical checks when Aso Rock Hospital is ill-equipped, you cannot fly helicopter to your hometown when the road is bad, because the contractor has settled you. Some, don’t even eat our beef, they import from Botswana and their children have just returned to London, Paris and Atlanta after the festive holiday. So, where is the sincerity in fixing the economy, this should not continue this year,” Akagbule urged.

He decried that Nigerians have been on this route severally and the poor are always the ones suffering as policy makers and implementers live large.

“The President should just bring down food prices and ensure no further increase in fuel pump price. These are just what the masses need and not long speeches to impress the IMF and World Bank,” Akagbule noted.

For Abidemi Amosu, a banker, fighting food inflation is more urgent now than anything.

“Imagine 50kg of rice selling above N100,000 and it is not imported. How many people can afford it even if the minimum wage was N100,000?

“Many families had nothing to eat last Christmas and are still managing to eat this new year. The government should look down with pity, the situation is bad and we that earn salaries can tell because we hardly save anything after meeting the many requests for assistance from relatives and friends,” Amosu said.

According to the banker, no country practices full capitalism even America that champions it; hence, there should be a form of control to ensure price stability.

“Now, fuel price is coming down, but transport fares are not and food prices are still high. As much as the government is aggressive at implementing its economic policies, it should monitor results at all levels to ensure no sabotage in the system. Even if dollar comes down to N500, many will still not reduce their prices and that is where a responsible government comes in,” he said.

For Idrisu Yahaya, a Plateau State farmer, hunger will persist in 2025 if the government does not sincerely fight insecurity, especially in the rural areas, where terrorist attacks have not allowed farming.

“We do not import most food items again and our farmers do not farm like before because of the fear of attacks by bandits and hoodlums. So, how do you expect Nigeria to feed its people? The government knows this and should fight insecurity sincerely if they want hunger to go in 2025,” he said.

Now that two refineries and a private one are working, Samuel Onikoyi, a Nigerian diaspora, is tasking the government to capitalise on the feat to boost the economy in 2025.

“We are happy with what is happening in the oil sector now. But the reduction in fuel pump price should continue this year to ensure stability in the economy. It will also impact dollar if sustained and reduce prices of commodities, especially food items,” Onikoyi said.

But he warned that Nigeria should not continue on borrowing spree in 2025 to allow the economy breathe as it has many loans to service, especially from the World Bank, Exim Bank of China, among other debts.

He also called on the government to aid small scale businesses as bank interest rates are unbearable, low purchasing power, electricity tariff and multiple taxation have not allowed these businesses to stay afloat and boost employment across the country.

“Nigeria’s rate of unemployment is among the worst in the world today. It is going to reach over 40 percent by the end of this year if nothing is done. This calls for urgent need to offer SMEs necessary incentives to boost their operations and capacity to create employment,” Onikoyi said.

For many, the people are really facing hard times and there should be respite for them in 2025, which a government with human face should champion.