21st July, 2023
By Adetola Osinuga
As much as I supported Asiwaju in the recently concluded election, I must say his methods aren’t Nigerian-like.
If you want to stop breastfeeding a child, you start by decreasing the number of times he takes the milk daily. For example, from 10 times daily to 7 times daily, to 5, to 3, and eventually the child gets used to the fact.
This is Nigeria, and looking at it from the perspective of the Lorenz Curve, 12% of Nigerians are sitting on the wealth of 78% of Nigerians. That is to say, this country is a time bomb, and the masses are crying.
The policy of subsidy removal at once is targeted at the masses because, obviously, the wealthy class can afford to buy as much as they want. Also, the social stratification will get wider as the middle class will eventually fall to the lower class, considering how much they have to spend to keep life and business going.
If you have to remove subsidies, which I honestly support, start by removing some percentage. Then target your efforts at giving the country an interrupted power supply, so people who will actually need fuel are those who have to drive, and they must also have the option of a convenient and cheap public transport system in case they wish not to drive.
For example, a cab driver or a cold room owner who is thriving will eventually lose out as he or she needs electricity, which is not available, and fuel, which is not affordable. How do you generate IGR when all small-scale companies will start closing down on a daily basis?
Nigerians had to suffer from dollar scarcity to Naira scarcity to Fuel scarcity, which will eventually render people homeless as house rents are being increased on a daily basis without proper measures in place. How do you want them to survive?
Transport fares have skyrocketed, yet the minimum wage is N30,000. How about reviewing the minimum wage, reducing the cost of education, reducing healthcare charges, and taking road touts off the road so a common man who drives a bus won’t get frustrated?
Subsidies are killing Nigerians, but hunger is killing more. Any policy enacted without putting the masses into consideration is not a good policy.