A GROUP of progressive intellectuals and veteran activists has come up with a brief but pungent policy measures it is convinced are capable of revitalising the Nigerian economy.
The proposal comes in a week in which Nigerians, mainly the youth, are engaged in street battles with security personnel as they spilled unto the streets of major towns and cities in a nationwide mass protest against hunger and bad governance.
The nationwide protest, well-publicised by the organisers on social media for over a month prior to kick off on August 1, and meant to last till August 10, has been marked by bloodbath in a number of states in the Northern part of the country.
The mass protest is preceded by months of spiralling inflation orchestrated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s full throttle implementation of neoliberal policies beginning on the day of his inauguration when he unilaterally removed subsidy on petrol and followed it with the devaluation of the naira under the pseudonym, “floating the naira.”
Noting the rationale for their intervention, the signatories to the policy document entitled: “Nigeria At The Cross-Road: A Policy Direction,” said they resolved “to speak up as concerned Nigerians, democrats, and veterans who are worried, embarrassed, and traumatized by the depths into which Nigeria has sunk in recent times.”
The signatories, which include Prof. Abba Alkasum, Abubakar Siddique Mohammed, Akilu Fatima, Usman Bugaje, Clement Nwankwo, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, John Odah, Kole Shettima, Ene Obi, Salihu Muhammad Kabir, Hon. Uche Onyeagocha and Y.Z. Ya’u, lamented that “[t]he past 25 years of democratic governance, while meant to usher in an era of progress and prosperity, have instead been marked by a tragic irony.”
The full document, along with its executive summary, both made available to National Record Wednesday afternoon, stressed that while “[t]he political class, entrusted with the responsibility of leading the nation towards a brighter future, has seemingly benefited immensely, …the people who voted them into power continue to grapple with the harsh realities of economic hardship, insecurity, and pervasive corruption.”
The group further noted: “The dwindling quality of leadership, the diminishing capacity to deliver on development, and the recklessness and lack of empathy displayed by those in power are deeply troubling.
“The future of our teeming youth hangs precariously in the balance, jeopardized by the very individuals who should be safeguarding it.
“The stark contrast between the opulence enjoyed by the political elite and the suffering endured by the masses is a testament to the profound disconnect between the government and the governed.”
Read the main document here, and the executive summary here.
