I was very elated and proud
when Mr. President made the speech during 2020 annual budget submission to the
national assembly. Months ago, I wrote an article in my weekly column titled;
‘A hungry man is an Angry man’, in it, I requested the office of the President
or the Budget office to publish the detailed plan so that some of us can make
some input because poverty is one of the biggest pandemics affecting over a
hundred million Nigerians.
It may surprise you to know that in this poverty
bracket we have scientists that cannot think anymore, teachers that can no
longer teach, explorers that can no longer explore and innovate, writers and
artists that can no longer visualise and famers who can no longer find their
way to the farm because of insecurity.
The first time I heard about
this bold plan to lift millions of Nigeria out of poverty was from the address
given by the Vice-President at the Emir of Gwandu’s Palace in Birnin Kebbi on
September 12, 2019. This monumental pronouncement did not come in a policy speech
from the President, his vice, or his economic minister.
Till date, we are still
waiting for the detail plans of how this bold objective would be made to work.
We are waiting to see how this objective is tied to the National electricity
policy of Nigeria, the national transportation policy of Nigeria, the national
education policy of Nigeria; how the TraderMoni, MarketMoni, and FarmerMoni
schemes link up with this bold objective.
We want to see how our
industrialisation policy, our services sector, research and development
strategies and outcomes tie into this laudable objective. When the
president set up this bold objective of his, he must have had in mind the
achievable targets of these policies and schemes I have enumerated.
The
president must also be aware that these millions of Nigerians he rightly wants
to lift out of poverty by 2030 all live in different states of the federation.
Are the states keyed into this objective by way of a national legislation or
set of legislations by way of buy-in, given that these states have different
party affiliations? These questions and observations are not so much of a
critique as they are mostly advices in the quest for a workable policy that
will put Nigeria firmly on the path to economic glory.
This bold objective is
only a few months old. There is still time to flesh out the plans that will
drive it. And now this Coronavirus that perhaps nature has thrown
at planet Earth has come at the worst of times; a big wrench in the works that
are yet to start. Bad timing? No, worst timing.
With the lockdowns announced by
the President and the various states, farmers are unable to appropriately
engage in the early stages of the new farming season. Students at all levels of
our educational institutions have left their institutions and are now shuttered
in their homes. Even motor park boys are now home as well.
The previous stigma
whereby most Nigerians will run away from the country when things are hard is
no longer possible because there is nowhere to run to seeing as all countries
are now impenetrable fortresses. So far, there seems to be no light at
the end of the fuzzy tunnel because those countries we have been aspiring to
emulate are yet to find out how best to fight this war especially when leaders
of the war, the health workers, emergency workers, and essential service
providers who are the foot soldiers are being affected.
The poverty issue
therefore is going to get worse and will not help Mr President’s most important
plan to fight corruption. Imagine what this will do to our teeming population
that are living below the poverty line. Therefore, Poverty + Frustration + Anger + Idleness = Increased Mental
Illness.
Most countries of the world we aspire to be like are
engaging their citizens and governments in serious conversations on how to ease
the sufferings of their citizens, prevent a free fall of their economies, and
plans on how to stimulate their economies post COVID-19 pandemic induced
national shutdowns. We, in Nigeria, have yet to be told of any serious plans by
our various governments on how to fight this war, win it, and not sink in it.
We have heard about social loan deferments for 3 months; heard about the N100
billion health sector intervention for 10 years; heard about the suspension of
cheque clearing by CBN (whatever that means); heard about the various donations
from philanthropists, rich Nigerians, and corporations; heard about the N15
billion FGN intervention funds to NCDC and Lagos State.
What is in it for the
Nigerian workers and taxpayers; what is in it for the Nigerian businesses, big
and small; what is in it for the unemployed Nigerians who may die from
inability to obtain any treatments; what is in it for the Nigerian farmer?
Perhaps, these are early days yet, judging from the perspective of the ‘African
Time’. Afterall, Africa is also having a delayed visit from this unwanted
pandemic. There may still be time for the Big Government intervention that
Nigerians deserve. But I doubt it.
I doubt it because this is a country in which the
individuals, collectively, are richer than the State. The 2020 Federal Budget
was predicated on an oil price of US$56/barrel. Today, thanks to Russia and
Saudi Arabia, oil prices as of now are below US$22/barrel – the lowest ever in
18 years. Once again, our dependence on a single, monolithic product driven
economy will bring us to our bruised and bleeding knees. “‘Coro’ don kill us”,
so said my plumber.
The novel Coronavirus; the unseen enemy has come from
nowhere and everywhere, affecting the rich and the poor, the weak and the most
powerful, the young and the elderly, the farmers and the gun-wielding herders,
the hapless electorates and the lying, conniving politicians. If we are unable
to farm and cannot sell our oil, cannot educate our students, cannot provide for
the employed and unemployed who are all at home, we are doomed as a government
and as a people. I cannot begin to think of what will happen to my dear country
Nigeria if this continues for the next few months
Not surprisingly, the President has rather called for
all Nigerians to look after each other.
That is like the proverbial ‘everyman
to himself’. That is an abrogation of responsibility, which though did not
start with him, but for 28 years he has been part of the leadership of this
Country. I am writing these from my farm in Delta state waiting for the first
rains to signal the new planting season but, so far, we have had few and we are
already into April. Can we, nay, can the World feed itself this year? Stay
tuned for this one.
-Jibunoh is the Founder of FADE Africa
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