Democracy á là Nigeria’na – Counting the Cost: an Ode With Love from PMB the Nation’s Once Great White Hope -By Jimi Bickersteth

Penultimate week caught the senate President, the nation’s number three man in the order of precedence on a peninsula, lamenting the fate of the nation. He was quoted as saying that the nation’s economy is in “real crisis” with its current ₦4.2 trillion Debt Service.

That was earth-shaking, moreso, coming from the powerful CEO of the loan approving authority. His no-hold bars summary was the real reason the political leaders the people could see were no more human to them than the close-up of a movie star on a 4D cinema screen. Well! Yes! With candour, there it is, deal with it.

Coming from leaders who could not feel the dust and smell and the dirt that should make them understand the continuous struggle Nigerians were making to survive and make attempts to ameliorate same. Times are hard, business is bad, and there is no real money around this days – depressing, you’ll say. The situation was devoid of the leaders empathy, sharp and the penetrative analysis it deserves.

The grim pictures of the near-famine in the land were unique records of people suffering and the government’s negligence and insensitive feeling for the mass of humanity. I marvelled at the classic design of the people as the fugitive and the ruling elites as the hunter, with no way of escape for both. Thereby, making a pattern of sinister violence.

The insecurity in the land, the stark look of terror in the people, and the political leaders conspiracy of terse silence at the brut-al violence all around were distinct moments of acute danger, sorrows, tears and blood that framed the poor’s horror – wide eyes, even, as the government kept watching the people with wide expressive grins on their faces.

Nigerians expression were of fear, of abject terror at what metaphor and a fatal mistake their choices have made democracy became. A prosperous nation with an embarrassment of riches whose magic key was trembling in balance.

Let me add without oversimplifying, that, the nation’s economy, the new propensity for debt and the attendant loan debt servicings, in spite of its stupendous human and natural resources, an envy of many nations, is the new headquarter of extreme poverty, lack and modern privations. What with a total debt of about ₦40 trillion, a depressing means of ingress, and access to new prospects of adding more to the debts profile, call it burdens, before PMB, for whom the pendulum of public opinion has swung dramatically, May, 27th 2023 exit date.

The senate President, I guessed, deliberately, left out of his summation that:
a. the naira now exchange for ₦575 to $1,
b. that the nation’s best corruption Perception Index under ‘Mister ‘Integrity” is now 154 out of 180 countries assessed, and,
c. our dear nation have become a third most insecure country after only Iraq and Afghanistan. In any case, he appeared to be acting out the histrionics and intellectual pretensions in a ‘script,’ and, surreptitiously, asking the people to take their destinies in their hands, calm down, and map a new path forward.

PMB, you’ll recall, had a tall order in 2015 to effect change in the nation’s situation, to change the people – changed people is a changed situation. A tall order indeed, as PMB found itself confronted with all sorts of scenarios, some inherited, some inherent but majority were the creation of his own political naivety, and his draining and expansive political will.

The nation was confronted for good measure by problems hitherto undreamt of, and for a number of reasons, some of which were, the proper education to applied measures congruent to the situation the administration met on ground, its own leader whims, moods, beliefs, emotions, health, logic, fairness, ethnocentric, age, wrong premises and principles also play a role; as it for close on eight years kept looking backwards. How oddly true the words of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, of no “art to know the mind’s construction in the face.”

A dispassionate critique of the supreme law of the land, the 1999 Constitution – a narrow confluence and confines of freedom and wide berth of liberty. I’m often not too fascinated by its simplicity and oversights on the matter of representation and primafacie prerequisites. I’ll dance round that point here, because of the arduous task of writing and assessing processes such endeavours entails and required according to dogmas. That is neither here nor there. But it made all liable with the results of the liabilities.

I have come to realised that the Nigerian people are apparently not so much concerned or interested in how or who governs them, and are not so much concerned with holistic and wholesome change if the wherewithal of their subsistence are not seriously interfered with; and here, the notion that all “are political animals” – an illusion created by early political theorists for the ‘gullible’ is not a 100 percent valid conclusion.

In this society, its been discovered that there was a way our ancestors had dealt with self government in the Ẹ̀gbá nation, the Ọ̀yọ́ nation, the more republican Igbo nation etc. Today, with a population of about 200 million 60 percent of who are registered to vote in any election, only less than half, about 27 million of those 60 percent eligible voters exercised the inalienable right, in a political space that have sourly been massively malleable and seriously monetised in an osmosis and diffusion settings.

The nation’s politics is a game for kingpins, kingmakers, and moneybags all spoiling for relevance, political influence and more money amidst the long list of a pauperised and impoverished, hungry, depressed, citizenry. In a nation with nationwide apathy at the elections. The digression of the last four paragraphs of the critiques are here quite relevant.

To all intents, fairness and purposes the PMB’s administration may have done its best possible in the circumstances, but the willing ‘horse’ appeared to be standing on tired legs, flogging it to life to perform at its optimum best and beyond its capacity, which is what the nation’s present precarious situation demands have become futile, and would continue to be so till the administration signed out. In that regard therefore, the people have to look beyond PMB and his ‘people’ into 2023 and see what it’ll give in comfort and succour to a seriously shortchanged people and the nation.

In 2023, whoever that it has pleased Providence to bless the nation with, must be ready to shock the world that for Nigeria, playing the second fiddle and ever remain on the back heel of history has been consigned to the past, a sordid past; even, as it shook the world that it could no longer be comfortable with languishing and smiling on the threshold of world politics, that its destination Is its mainstream. Hence, the new leadership must be willing, indeed, ready, to assert control over the face and direction of the nation’s political, socioeconomic development and general administration.

The new administration must be imbued with the willingness to deal decisive blow on the subsidy regime and increase in pump price which were apparently the red herring the outgoing administration appeared to have laid on its path. An administration that could not in eight years complete the Turn Around Maintenance on the nation’s existing petroleum refineries, not to talk of midwifing new refinery project.

The nation’s new leadership of a ‘new beginning’ must be sufficiently motivated, honest, sincere and forthright enough to serve a warning salvo to those who have continuously conspired to monopolised the nation’s frail economy, and a signal that indeed, Nigeria has declared total war against poverty while bidding a final farewell to deprivation, privation, and lack of open and sincere national leadership.

The face and direction of future development and growth would be centred upon a cautious optimism of the nation’s need for a typically a la Nigerian homespun solutions to the economic malaises of the last sixty years; but, by first tracking and fighting to a standstill corruption, graft, fleece, banditry, money laundering, Yahoo plus and the meaningless haemorrhaging in parts of the northern axis, and found a constitutional, political solutions to the agitations for self-independence in the southeast and southwest and the remotely connected mayhems and state of anarchy it threatened.

The nation could no longer afford to sweep these fundamental problems under the carpet, not any longer, if it proposes to remain at the mainstream of world politics and civilisation. The root cause(s) of killings, debauchery, base savagery in a nation noted for hunger for success and the urge is been dampened by the dehumanising treatment from up north, while, the southeast was hot, the North-central, the Northwest, Northeast have been turned deathbeds, and the southwest in deplorable general conditions. With over 50million children not so lucky to be raised by a ‘father’ or ‘mother’, the nation really need to change its perspectives about life, another way of life and the true meaning of life. The nation have to come together to save self from self and create a better tomorrow.

The actors coming on stage in 2023 must see 2023 as a nostrum – pet scheme or remedy, especially for social or political ills and effective and long lasting panacea in a helpless pose. What the most distinguished senator Lawan in the effortless and passionate lyrical description of apparent wilful negligence, outright dereliction, poor performance, and miasma of national depression was saying in mellifluous tone, his middle-age spread heaving unevenly portrayed his led NASS as a mêlée of ‘photographers’ in a melodramatic gesture.

The Lawan’s assessment and or X-ray of the ”real” crisis and disaster the nation’s politicaleconomy have become, coming from an insider must be taken seriously. Nonetheless, the Lawan’s tirade was going to draw a long litany of what is, and why Nigeria is where it is, with the crops of political elites its political system trumped up.

Lawan, with so much to say about the nation’s precarious situation, but with the consciousness of one in a hurry, running out of time and few to spare, with aplomb, left so much unsaid, so much that has dovetailed into the Nation’s crisis situation; which I’m going to humbly stand on and amplified here. They were the fact that:
i. the nation has witnessed over the years misconceptions, regional and communal pressures, intolerance on the basis of religion, regions and politics, which has led to incidences of disasters and unnecessary deaths that has dulled the nation’sfaith and enthusiasms.
ii. that, majority must care for the many responsibilities of raising a family. Besides working at a #1000 per day jobs, there is shopping, cooking, cleaning, parenting.
iii. there is the need to provide health care, recreation, and emotional support for the children and, if at all possible, to find a few precious moments of personal time.
iv. with the prevailing economic meltdown, most are not sure what to do, and quite overwhelmed by the many responsibilities they have.
v. widowhood, abandonment, or other unfavorable circumstances like Boko banditry, feeling helpless and in their trepidations are pleading for reliefs; and they need that badly,
vi. a lot of displaced peaceful indigents trekking long distance over dirty roads and hills, hiked through thick forests and jungles and trekked across hilly ranges – a constantly, physically demanding escapades and experience. Of course, try as you may, and far away in the opulence of the billionaires city named Abuja, sandwiched by bodyguards, orderlies, aides and coteries of advisors, you can never fully appreciate what it is like to be indigent or survive in an IDP’s camp, camps emitting the odour of army latrines, unless you are one yourself,
vii. the World Bank blames the government, which probably, includes senator Lawan as the senate President, as high inflation in the land has worsens poverty, because the government did not take any concerted action towards curving inflation despite inflation shocks pushing several millions of Nigeria below the poverty line.
viii. the PMB’s administration have not been observant, and while it has taken a superficial look at the nation’s situation have not been able to deal with the cause(s) and effect(s) and the burdens of destruction and the devastations banditry has occasioned.
ix. the effects of privatisations throughout industry are seen in microcosm against the government’s macroeconomics policy in a nation with a mélange of different cultures.

There is something deeply soothing about the state of the nation and the people getting cast-iron arteries through it all. I want to hear the news of the nation’s present conditions and circumstances spoken by active participants, (one was Fashola the other time and now Lawan, that’s the worth of bringing repressed individuals as representatives to a joint like this, not blaisé), in a language I don’t like what I hear in English. The nation is making everyone look like a fugitive from a nightmare.

The Washington based World Bank in the latest edition of its ‘Nigeria Development Update’ report 2021, it said, interalia, “Double-digit inflation rates are depressing economic activity and exercabating poverty. Rising food prices are eroding household purchasing power, and that during 2020 and 2021, the ‘inflation shock’ alone pushed about 8 million more Nigerians below the poverty line.

The World Bank warned, and the senate President must note this with emphasis, that without any decisive action, the average inflation rate would not reach the single-digit target of the CBN by the end of 2022. The inflation rate has not fallen to 9 percent since 2014, but in a hypothetical scenario where the inflation rate would have been close to the CBN’s goal of 9 percent in 2020/2021, the consumption level of the average Nigerian would have been at least 15% higher today.”

The CBN and by inference the government handcuffed by its own policy and outlook and world view couldn’t stop the Naira from sliding against the dollar because the CBN failed to curb inflation. Lawan was an active participant, the number three man, a participant of note in the PMB’s administration, what did he advised. The World Bank was of the opinion that Nigeria have one of the highest inflation rate globally and with increasing prices diminishing the welfare of Nigerian households. What is our politic?

2023 provides the nation a new era but in dire need of a desirable major adjustment, transformation and realignment in a nation that appears to be blind, especially with its present set of political elites, and with blindness, it flicks the muscles the way a horse flicks its muscles to get rid of flies. The adjustments would be greater as the nation’s is presently, baffled by a world of colour, shape and perspective, and its still confused and unable to recognise its precarious position and making good sense of what it should be.

I tried to imagine what the future of the nation’s well-being would be, with accidents, all forms of cancer, lack, corruption, maladministration, so much money, paper money and investment resources. I discovered that something basic is changing on the nation’s social and political and economic scenes, something that is having profound impact and effects. The hope is that that something will provide the necessary lead time for the nation to develop its strategies of adjustment.

It’s been hard, but not really bad, but not for the several millions nationwide including children sent on the street, sent out to fend for themselves. Nothing really bad must be allowed to happen to our nation, including, the downtrodden who have suffered for many soul-destroying years on the streets of Kano, Lagos, Nassarawa, Kebbi, Ungwar Rimi, name it; and who dreaded half-heartedly the almost certain prospect of an unwanted pregnancies. The parents were only too happy to find them missing.

t will be perhaps misleading in an age and world of discontinuous change, to single out or in any particular order any one particular trend, but, the nation can focus on the phenomenon of changing values and societal expectations, the meltdown of its economy, political and policies inconsistencies. The streams of global thoughts have started to flow in quite different directions and principled self-centredness. The nation only need consider the changing values inherent in the new perceptions about the right relationships across the nation’s economy, ecology, business, politics and society.

Clearly, expectations are on the march. The expectations have thus created new areas of instabilities, new situation of tension and the nation and ruling elites have been caught in the web. Hence, the 2023s should see the nation standup its ante to provide a judicious mingling of ‘homelike’ peace with the gaiety of strong moral social intercourse. Such a course is the antithesis of global unity and oneness in spite of the inherent diversity and differences and would be essential for the future vitality.

The nation must engage in proactive strategies to deal with changing social and economic and political forces, and must of necessity, note with great trepidation and grave concerns that the nation was dependent on the industrial world, and it is the best poetry on the deepest earnest that the PMB’s regime with a rubber stamp NASS and the immense distractions occasioned by the incessant killings in the land, ‘wars’ in the Northwest, Northeast and the North central geopolitical zones could not effect any meaningful changes, but at the twilight of its reign was starting an agricultural revolution with bazookas and bombs dropping from the air, how unserious and untenable that feeble attempt at liberating a nation was. With parts of the nation’s border up North are so overgrown that government troops have trouble finding it. If you can’t find it, then you can’t secure it.

The present global wealth distribution shows that the world’s richest 1% of adults own 40% of the planet’s wealth. Those in financial services and the internet sectors predominate among the super rich. A UN study finds that 37 percent of the richest live in the United States, 27 percent in Japan, and 6 percent in the United kingdom. The poorest half of the world’s adult population own barely 1 percent of its wealth. According to Duncan Green, head of research at Britain’s charity Oxfam, “these levels of inequality are grotesque…. It is impossible to justify such vast wealth when 800 million people go to bed hungry every night.” What is the nation’s prospect? Not too appealing.

The nation’s with its harrowing economic situation has yielded leaders who when waylaid by dirth of idea and paucity of fund had demanded courage, patience and belt tightening beyond breaking point. It is quite laughable for the nation’s leadership to talk of total independence as principal entrepreneur in an economy that is still based on a dispersed population of small agricultural–commodity producers and even now the internal economy is now dominated by a political apparatus and overhead that is beginning to weigh ever more heavily on the decentralised agricultural base, and a dwindling crude oil fortune.

With a PMB that with a lasting motive of portraying the nation in somewhat unsuccessful conflict with circumstances beyond its control. The nation is more faced with crisis over ‘over-population’ of a not too critical widening gap, that is between the upward curve of population growth and now much flatter or even falling curve of indigenous production of food and other prime necessities. Suddenly, the nation has found itself exposed to a world which had developed quite different systems and, with these, a far greater technological power.

Technologies stimulated by the needs of society, which are now of growing complexity and wealth far beyond the nation’s piting limited talents. The appearance of new methods of making a living always confronts Mankind with new problems of organisation and conflict between those attached to the old ways and those who want a clean break with the past. In view, therefore, of the tremendous speed with which technical change is taking place today, it is not surprising that these problems and conflict should be very acute and that the more faint-hearted should feel the nation in a very bad state and not likely to get out of it anytime soon, without drastic remedial steps.

The nation in 2023 and with more fresher ideas and personnel must go further beyond the PMB’s administration’s failures, even as it go further and embrace ambitious programmes that would bring its economy out of the woods and shackles of self-inflicted recession and aimed at raising living standards; programmes that should have patterns and levels of expenditures that could yield dividends to the economy and by inference the teeming population. The nation must not be scared of dismantling its trading economy that in any case, are been constantly threatened by an over centralised political system, and, to wit, the state as principal entrepreneur.

The 2023s and beyond should see the nation’s leadership performing delicate juggling acts while trying to rescue the nation from the contradictions of its development policies, to:
a. nudge it towards strategies more compatible with the nation’s material resources,
b. liberate the nation from fiscal restraint and massive increases in public expenditures in an economy where successive government had favoured construction more than transport, raising multistorey buildings and filling them with political jobbers rather than building roads and bridges. I’ll concede here that PMB put up some spirited showing here, but at greater financial costs.

At the threshold of the 20th year of the 21st century, the nation have to get thinking, in its world riddled with, ‘pants snatching’, killings and bloody money rituals, to see if there are any hope(s) for the future leaders. In any event, the Yorubas would say, ká gún’yaán nínú ewé, ká s’ebẹ̀ nínú èpo ẹ̀pàpa, ení má’yo á yóó. Literally saying, that in the scramble and leanness, some would still be tops. Who do you suspect? The pampered children of today’s leaders. What an epitaph!

The light of the present times were fading in the light of the new dawn. Everything looked nice, but to even an incurable optimist like me, with everyone’s faces turned to the morning sky, it looked a long way away. But, it won’t get anyone anywhere to jump off the deep end.

2023, here lies the nation’s hope, may be.

#JimiBickersteth
Jimi Bickersteth is a super blogger and writer.
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