By Ahmed S. Adoke
The past few weeks have ushered in myriads of horrifying trials and tribulations among Nigerians.
From the new normal of insecurity across the country, to fuel scarcity, incessant power outages, economic faux-pax, Naira notes redesign and the recently conducted electoral ignominy.
It is indeed evident that Nigerians are survivors of man-made tragedies called Bad Leadership!
Critical analysis of the present conditions of an average Nigerian is piteous and sympathetic in view of the hardships caused by fuel scarcity and change of Naira notes.
Resultant consequences of such terrible policy has turned an average the Nigerian into unwitting beggar at all level of the social sphere.
Those of us who care and go around, mingle with the downtrodden and shed dry tears, sometime covertly because of the dehumanising manner the rich treat the inevitable begging poor, but some have become victims too.
As a result of the ignoble naira shortage and CBN’s disastrous policy, just on Friday, 10th of March 2023, a groom had to pay the bride price of Twenty-five thousand naira only for his about-to-be wife through bank transfer.
Few months before now, such an action would have been seen as insulting by the family of the bride. Such experiences are red flags to our religion and tradition as a people.
The deliberate impoverishment of Nigerians by those in the corridors of political power has been unimaginably deploring, unholy and against all dictates of the holy books.
Our poorly paid security agents are not also helpful in the present unpredictable condition of piteous Nigerians.
The poor always pray for those dehumanising them, instead of frowning at those oppressing and
suppressing their smile. Most Nigerians are suffering and smiling as famous musician, Fela Anikulapo, sang in one of his many visionary songs 40 years ago.
Ethnically induced hatreds among Nigerians persist since the misadventure of the tribally bias coup of 1966.
This unforgiving spirit of ours radiate in our daily relationships and consequently affect the downtrodden. Sadly as it is, the so-called cashless policy is supposed to be no respecter of the average Nigerian have or have not.
However, the same policy makers and law enforcement agencies have admitted to ‘siezing’millions of New Naira notes, yet nobody is being named to be owners of such money, neither is anyone being prosecuted.
The dormancy of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Central Bank’s Governor, Godwin Emefiele about the Supreme Court judgment for the dual usage of the old and new naira notes has not helped matters..
It is not hate speech to say President Buhari has not kept his promise of keeping/obeying law and order. If President Buhari does not care a bit about the “silent dying before death” of Nigerians and continues to flagrantly disobey Supreme Court orders on the usage of old Naira notes, what then, is the fate of the downtrodden?.
▪︎ Adoke, a veteran journalist, writes from Adavi in Kogi State.
