I saw the videos of the Corp Member that has gone viral where in one she called the President “terrible” and in the other she drew our attention to an attempt to emasculate her by the authorities.
First off, I think it is a crying shame that it is taking a child who just barely graduated from University to bring us to this point of realisation and sudden activism. This is only a reflection of how silent our voices have become especially from those upon whom society has thrust such responsibilities by one way or the other. I feel saddened that she is risking it all for a society that does not appreciate sacrifice at such an early age. My thoughts, for all they are worth, are with her.
Few weeks ago the football world, especially Nigerians, took umbrage against the Atalanta FC coach when he said Lookman is the worst penalty taker he ever saw. In other words, our Ademola Lookman took a terrible penalty that all but sealed the team’s fight back. To the extent that he did not score, it was terrible! The whole essence was to hit the target. Few days ago we also saw a more terrible penalty kick by Vinicius Jnr of Real Madrid FC which, had he scored, would have saved his team mates extra 30 minutes of blood and sweat and millions of Madrid fans worldwide, palpitation after extra time.
These are the outcomes of “terrible” performances by those upon whom certain responsibilities have been thrust.
Now here is my poser to those “modern day lawyers and advocates” playing the ostrich casting aspersions on this child bold enough to hold our star striker, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to account for shooting us to places we do not want to be when the safety net is just there gaping! When this President took over in 2023 where was our rate of inflation, which effectively determines the prices of goods and services? Where was our unemployment rate which essentially determines growth rate, disposable income, welfare, security, etc? What was the foreign exchange rate which really determines the cost of imported items especially for an economy mostly reliant on imported items? I can go on and on but from where I stand they have shot up like Vinicius Jnr’s terrible penalty kick that ended up in the stand! And that is not the desired point we want to be. We want to be able to live a decent and respectable life where cost of living would be low and the corresponding effect being a higher standard of living. We do not desire a country where the lower and middle middle-classes have been completely wiped out by soaring cost of doing business and food inflation. That is the message that child tried to pass. We can debate all we want about her choice of word, maybe it too was terrible, but even if she used something flowery like “Unfantastic President” ostriches, with their heads deeply buried in the sands, would still fault her, whereas their reality may even be more stark than hers.
I hope, unlike that tactless NYSC Official that called her and tried muscling her, not seeing her tears and pain, Mr. President will apply more understanding and work even more to safeguarding the present and future of Nigerians. She should be invited for a sit-down. No tea please! Have a conversation with a real Nigerian feeling the brunt of some unworkable macroeconomic policies and bold enough to speaking out rather than the carpetbaggers swarming around the seat of power too lilly-livered or selfish to speak truth to power!
May God bless this Federal Republic of Nigeria!!!
Hon J. Osilama Okuofu is the immediate Past Edo State Commissioner for Budget Economic Planning, he sent this piece from Benin City Edo State