The number one man in Nigeria, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-in-Chief of Federal Republic of Nigeria has been advised as a matter of urgency to reconsider the present Nigeria Economic Policy because of the negative effect on Nigerians.
A human rights lawyer, Lekan Alabi who is in the leadership of a Human Rights and Anti-Corruption organization in Nigeria, Human Rights Monitoring Agenda (HURMA Global Resource Initiative) gave this advice on the one year anniversary of the president.
Before the public address of Lawyer Lekan Alabi, the Executive Director of the mass based Human Rights organization, Comrade Buna Olaitan Isiak had led the media team of HURMA to conduct a public assessment of the impact of the administration on citizens. The people from all classes and tribes are crying high cost of living which is gradually becoming unbearable. These views were reiterated in Alabi’s speech.
It is generally gathered that the aftermath effect of the petrol subsidy’s removal among other policies enacted have negatively impacted the economy. This includes inflation viz-a-viz high cost of food stuff, cost of transportation, cost of medicine and medical services, currency devaluation among others.
In the public address on State of the Nation, Lawyer Lekan Alabi considered the performance index of President Tinubu who took over from former president, Muhammadu Buhari and assumed office on May 29, 2023 as low and needs reconsideration.
“Considering the performance index of the present administration that has spent one year in the office by this May,
I want to believe that this our new regime has gone full blown “Bretton Woods Institutions” in times of Economy Policy.
“This is an economic policy and Ideology based on total removal of subsidy on the means of survival of citizens. In other words, President Tinubu planned that there was going to be removal and there is a removal of subsidy on our petroleum products.
The impact and effects on citizens is negative.
“The ideology of the current government is in pursuant of open market economy, that is the stronger people can control the economy while the weaker can receive the effects of the economy. The consequence of this kind of economy is astronomical increase in crime rate because it is going to be the survival of the fittest. This is because the government of the day has allowed the market or market forces to determine the survival of the people.
“In such situation, the strong will become stronger and the weak will become weaker and there’s going to be total wipe out of social policies for the people and we can see the impact and effects in terms of what people have – the purchasing power of our currency.
Our currency can not buy much and even people don’t even have that currency. They don’t have money to buy drugs, drug’s are expensive. They don’t have money to buy food, food are expensive. There is no peace and stability in the country. Farmers can not go to farm. Herders are moving up and down for the survival of their animals.
“My advice for the government of the day is to look into home grown ideology that is suitable for our system in Nigeria.
“The essence of being a Nigerian is to enjoy as Nigerian. Nigeria is made for Nigerian people. Nigerian people are not made for Nigerian state.
“There must be serious reconsideration of the kind of economic ideology that the government of the day want to pursue. Nigeria is not America. Nigeria is not all these North America countries whereby they based their own philosophies and policies on market forces.
“Market forces can not make us survive in Nigeria. It is going to result to more violence in the land.
“In this kind of economic policy and economic ideology the poor will continue to survive with serious trial, while the rich will equally find it difficult to become richer because the foreigners who have higher purchasing power will now be the one to dominate Nigeria economy. And, what is the essence of Nigerian state If the state is not for Nigerian people.
In conclusion, my advice for the government of the day is to reconsider the economic policy that is driven towards open market economy. Government must lockup market. Market must not be opened. Market must be affordable and available for Nigeria people so that Nigerians Will enjoy Nigeria”.