Deceitful N8,000 And The Subsidy Saga -By Ibrahim Ishaq

Nigeria has been facing serious economic pressure and hardship since the late Umaru Musa Yar’adua and former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan’s time till date. Nigerians have encountered numerous problems in their day-to-day activities from various angles.

The past administration of President Muhammadu Buhari was particularly challenging for Nigerians, as they experienced a significant increase in commodity prices daily and widespread insecurity. The present administration, which came into power on a Muslim-Muslim ticket, has unfortunately followed a similar path as the previous one.

Many Nigerians had hoped that President Tinubu would be more proactive than Buhari, but it seems we are beginning to think otherwise. The National Assembly is discussing salary increments while the common man and other salary earners have no voice or right to talk about such increments.

One of the key issues is the fuel subsidy, which supposedly benefits some countries and domestic marketers but has a negative impact on the majority of citizens. The subsidy removal affects the citizens the most. The government claims to have earned about 500 billion naira since the subsidy was stopped. However, it’s evident that this amount comes from the pockets of the citizens, as petrol prices have now exceeded 600 naira. This increment impacts over 250 million Nigerians. Whenever the government considers removing a subsidy, they should have a tangible plan for immediate implementation that aligns with citizen satisfaction.

Lastly, if we are to place blame, it should be distributed amongst our religious scholars, politicians, business men, and women. The common man has no peace of mind in any aspect of life.

May God intervene in these challenging times.

Ibrahim Ishaq Marhaba writes from Jos, Nigeria.