Nigerians tell politicians to share in pain of reforms –

June 25, 2023June 25, 2023 Mary

From visiting home thrice a week, Akeem Olabode, a laboratory assistant with a private hospital in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, now goes home once in a week.

Olabode, like millions of other Nigerian masses, is adjusting to the hard times the citizens are passing through due to petrol price hike arising from fuel subsidy removal by the new government.

The laboratory scientist, who abandoned his position as a senior laboratory supervisor in an Ikeja-based hospital for a juicier offer in Lekki last year, now lives in regret as the high cost of living, especially the unbearable transportation fares, has left his bank account empty before month end.

“With the high cost of everything, especially over 200 percent hike in transport fare across Lagos, the only option I have is to stay back in the hospital even when I am off duty. House rent, school fees, feeding allowances, car maintenance have all tripled in cost,” he lamented.

Ndubisi Uchegbu, a civil engineer and CEO of a medium-sized construction company in Aba, Abia State, decried that the situation is not the same across the country. According to him, some places are more negatively impacted than others. Some people in the South-East region are buying fuel at over N650 per litre and that has impacted on the cost of everything and added to their suffering.

According to the engineer, the cost of transportation has tripled because of the subsidy removal and that has equally impacted on the cost of everything being transported from Lagos to the South-East and other parts of the country, resulting in people living farther from Lagos, paying more and suffering more.

“The masses have been suffering for a long time and the government has never been sensitive to their plight. The gift from the new government is hike in prices, inflation and more sufferings for the masses and the rich has always been exempted from the famine in the land because of the mass looting of the nation’s treasury since 1999,” Uchegbu said.

Expressing the same pain, Itorobong Edem, a pharmacist, who runs chains of pharmaceutical shops across Calabar, Uyo, Ikot Ekpene and Aba, noted that his company has stopped buying expensive drugs, though effective, because sick people are increasingly going for cheaper alternatives.

“We get direct supplies from pharmaceutical companies within the country, from Germany and India. But the prices are so high that we are scared that people will not buy them and that is the reality now.

“It is sad because many who cannot afford these drugs are likely going to die from taking cheaper and less effective options and I risk closing down some of my shops if they cannot generate money to pay staff,” Edem said.

Looking at the very low purchasing power, which is negatively impacting on the health of many, Edem lamented that the suffering being witnessed by the masses today are unbearable.

But the most worrisome for many is that while Nigerians are in the season of price hikes, the reality is that their incomes are not increasing to match the inflationary trend.

Though the government promised palliatives to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal and salary increase, the Nigerian Labour Congress has to fight more to get the government fulfil its promises considering the many unfulfilled and forgotten promises by the government in the past.

Beyond the promises, pundits said that there is fear that government may sort out the politicians and top government functionaries, instead of the masses who are already weighed down by the high cost of living.

The fear seems real with the recent report, now denied, that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has approved a 114 percent pay raise for the president and other top executives of the government.

“They will deny it as usual, but will implement it silently. What has the masses really gained from our democracy since 1999 if not suffering. Government should rather cut the cost of governance, cut salaries of National Assembly members, top government functionaries, merge some parastatals and ministries, block leakages and use the recovered money for the masses welfare,” Chijioke Umelahi, a former Abia lawmaker said.

The Abuja-based lawyer said that there was no reform being planned to benefit the masses yet, as a sensitive government should have allowed the subsidy removal to be instalment rather than the rash implementation that has trippled prices, soared inflation and further boost insecurity.

“Those who are waiting for palliatives will wait forever because it will not come. If you increase workers’ salary, what about the private sector, business people and the unemployed? Are they not buying same fuel or are you asking businesses to hike prices after you increase the salaries of workers? The government should be sensitive to the plights of all Nigerians and not being selective because the private sector employs more than government today,” Umelahi said.

Expressing same fear with Umelahi, Terfa Unongu, an education secretary in a local government area in Benue State, decried that there is no amount of increament that will be enough for the civil servants as long as inflation is still soaring everyday.

According to him, the moment government increases workers’ salary, the country will witness another round of price hike as business people will increase prices to reflect the salary adjustment.

“We have been in a series of bad season and the season in front seems worse than what we have experienced in the past. Families are going to be squizzed further as money may not be able to buy anything again. It will impact on our health and insecurity will increase,” Unongu decried.

For pundits, the election is over and as usual, the masses have been abandoned as more hikes are planned from July1, 2023 and more sufferings for the masses (the goose that laid the golden eggs).

Despite the reforms that are really affecting the masses, political office holders are still cruising about in long convoy of state-of-the-art vehicles at government expense.

“If this administration is sincere with the reforms, it must touch everybody, including the President. It means no more frivolities; no more medical tourism; no more long convoys; no more retinue of aides and endless parties that politicians revel in all the time,” Chris Offor, a school proprietor, said.

According to Offor, “We are hearing rumours of possible increase of salaries of certain categories of politicians, I ask myself, what type of money does President Tinubu or Akpabio or Tajudeen Abass want again that they did not have? They have denied the increase, but I think they were just testing the waters. They would still carry it out without making noise about it. That’s how government in Nigeria works, unfortunately.

“The questions to ask include, are the reforms good for Nigeria? Absolutely. What then is the problem? My thinking is the timing. They were not well–thought-out. The implementations are hasty. Since they have come to stay, every Nigerian must be part of it.

“It is sad that it is only the poor that bears the brunt of government’s policies. They provide for themselves and throw the masses under the bus. They have fuel dumps dedicated to them. They do not go to the market; government feeds them and their families; pay school fees of their children and pay for their domestic staff. So, the question is what do they do with the money they are being paid? Yet, we hear about so much stealing and embezzlement of public funds.”

Indeed, Nigerians are feeling the pain as President Tinubu embarks on reforms to put Africa’s largest economy back on track after years in the doldrums.

In the last few weeks, there have been increased criticisms of President Tinubu’s reforms from Nigerians, with many saying that it lacked human face.

Although analysts have commended the President for the reforms which they say were capable of repositioning the economy, many Nigerians are of the view that reforms are weighing down on them and are coming too rapidly.

Ordinary Nigerians say that the Tinubu’s administration should have outlined cushioning measures and palliatives before embarking on the current tough reforms to alleviate their sufferings.

Since assuming office on May 29, President Tinubu has taken some tough decisions which he aimed would regain investors’ confidence and grow the economy.

Part of the reform includes floating and removing restrictions on the naira. The President had earlier scrap fuel subsidies that analysts said cost the country N10bn last year.

That was announced in the inauguration speech, amid outcries. Petrol prices across Nigeria have jumped more than 200% from 189 to N600 per litre depending where you are in the country.

The President’s move has been hailed by investors; they said it signals that he is keen to reset the country’s economy on a path to recovery, but it comes at a huge price to ordinary citizenry, where the cost of living has risen astronomically in recent weeks.

In recent days, there are reports of a move to increase electricity tariff, however, the move has also elicited condemnations from Nigerians, including the main Labour Union, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).

Headline inflation rate has accelerated for the fifth consecutive time to 22.41 percent in May, according to data by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released last week.

Inflation rate rose to a new 17-year high of 22.41 percent in May, 2023 from 22.22 percent in the previous month.

In recent weeks, food and transportation costs have doubled, with many more people finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic necessities at home.

“I work in Victoria Island, what I do now is to look for somewhere around my work place and stay during the week, it is not conducive for me, but I had to do it, so I can save something at the end of the month.

“The new petrol prices have led to an increase in transportation fares and I can’t afford it because my salary remains the same, I stay around Iyana Ipaja,” Mark Ogidi, a cleaner in a company, said.

Nigerians have faced severe economic hardship and mismanagement over the decades, so there is growing discontent about the government’s tendencies to push any intended cost-saving measures on the masses.

Across the country, there are growing calls for a cut in cost of governance and reduction in lavish spending among government officials.

Nigerians say it is time for them to tighten their belt in these times of need.

“It should not be only the masses that should face subsidy removal; I am even hearing of electricity tariff removal or so.

“If Tinubu is sincere about the reforms, let see the reduction and cut in public officials’ expensive lifestyle.

“Let us see a reduction in the presidential fleet and in the general lifestyle of those President Tinubu is going to appoint as advisers and Ministers.

“It should not always be the masses that should take the heat all the time,” Gbenga Ashafe, public policy analyst, said.

Ubong Otu, a financial expert, said that even though President Tinubu’s reform may benefit in the long run, part of the problem was lack of trust from Nigerians about government policies.

“It is because of years of mistrust and failed policies; despite promises, the people want immediate action, because they have been sacrificing over the years without their situation getting better,” he said.