Baba na guy man!!. He knew they will walk blindly into the booby trap. He knew it and it was obviously clear to him that Nigerians at the heel of his exit will miss him. He said it , and few hours after his exit the scorpion stung and the cries at various filling stations as excruciating as the whip of the Jewish Army on the bare bodied Jesus.
What a dramatic way of saying thank you to those that voted for him and those that didn’t. It is like rain it falls on the roof of both the righteous and the sinners. We are in it together. No preferential treatment for any political party faithful or hash doling of economic policies only for the wailers and bad loosers.
Removal of fuel subsidy is an “Ozo” title everybody knows that would be taken, how and when it would happen became an empty can many administrations continued to kick down the road.
Campaigning for votes , all the three major presidential contestants were clear on their policy direction on fuel subsidy. So it isn’t the brainchild of Tinubu.
They didn’t dance around it nor pandered on it. In clear terms they showed their willingness to stop the rot and scandalous corruption in fuel subsidy regime. Even the blind could see it is the only path that would pull Nigeria from the denizen of financial comatose for a healthy living, if the gains achieved wouldn’t be re-looted as usual.
The question is, what time would have been ripe for the removal? Is there a time it’s removal would have been more reasonable and convenient than now? In 2012 or there about when Tinubu , Pastor Tunde Barkari , Falana etc occupied Lagos, pulling off rugs from the feet of President Jonathan, twisting his arms from removing fuel subsidy, would the time have been the best time? Surprisingly they maintained how subsidy was a scam then and never existed anywhere. How what they kicked that never existed then sudenly became what they eventually removed comes to any painstaking observers as one of those nine wonders of the earth.
The various reactions across all socio- political, religious and economic segments of our society weren’t against the removal but rather the way and manner it was done.
Fuel subsidy is like a decaying limb. No form of treatment would be able to bring back health to the limb , leaving the surgeon with no other option than to remove it. The surgeon may decide to cut it off with the sharp blade or sedate the patient and carefully cut it off professionally.
I belive many will prefer the later than the former. The first approach would cause excruciating pains while the later would be easy with no pain and emotional trauma and still the bad leg would be removed.
Tinubu should have toed that line of sedation before cutting off the decayed limbs. However decayed a limb is , that part of the body still has reasonable degree of sensitivity, making it too much a horror to the person that has the decayed limb.
Now that he had ruthlessly with no compassion cut off the decayed limb, the scream of the patient would mean nothing to him, rather it may be a sonorous song to his ears ; flaunting around and feeling cool for doing something Napoleon couldn’t do.
Nigerians! No point crying over spilt milk. The deed is irreversibly done. Subsidy removed. New pump price fixed. This is our truth and reality. It is irreversible. The best approach is to develop an internal self help mechanism to help cope.
There are people who will still be cool with this and their normal exotic lifestyle still runs its course. However many will not be able to cope.
As Government tries to get some bandages and drugs to reduce the pains; individuals should equally carve out some strategic plans to go around this economic harshness in days and months to come.
This is not the best way to engage in any fruitless moving around, moving up and down like the devil looking for who to tempt.
This is not the best of time to spend on the spur of the moment. Let every spirit of impulsive buying be cast out.
Stay in your house if there is no urgent and important need for one to drive out.
Anyway, we are all adults, dictating to one on how one can or cannot handle this regime may sound improper, nevertheless, wisdom is profitable to direct . Think through this situation and weigh the options available and apply accordingly.
The truth is, no condition is permanent.This too will pass. Develop a staying power attitude and make the best out of it. Who knows it might be a blessing in disguise. Everything walks for good to them that believe.
Today, I stopped to ask one Aboki how much was his 10 litres of black market fuel. N7500 he replied. N4500 I priced it. I could literally see his shock and disaffection that one living in Nigeria could price ten litres of black market fuel that low. Go to all the puwel stations, puwel na N555. Who caused this? I asked him. Na Tunubu he answered. He said after this, when government go dey bring puwel the price will come down to N100 and N 150. That is the country we are in. Don’t be surprised it could be the narrative sold to them. How on earth can this be possible. How I wish it could be
Nigeria first! But on our mandate we still stand!
Nigerians we must survive!!
Jarlath Uche Opara Jarlathuche@gmail.com
