In a bid to eliminate banditry and terrorism in the northwest of the country, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu recently ordered the Chief of Defence Staff and Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Sokoto State. This move has already yielded remarkable results. The federal government has also deployed 10,000 agro rangers to safeguard farmlands and protect farmers from escalating attacks in 19 states of the country. In an effort to curb oil theft, the Chief of Defence Staff recently inaugurated a joint monitoring team to enhance military operations in the South-South region of the country. Generally, the level of insecurity across the country has dropped significantly, but there is still much to be done and the government is aware.
The request for the reversal of the removal of the fuel subsidy is retrogressive. This government has decided to do things differently in order to achieve better results. Yes, it has resulted in a hike in the cost of transportation; therefore, to alleviate this, the government has started distributing CNG buses and conversion kits across the country, with CNG tricycles to be distributed to youth in the pipeline. CNG is a much cheaper alternative to PMS whose price is expected to drop when domestic refineries come fully on due to economies of scale, competition, and the envisaged increase in the value of the naira due to reduced FOREX pressure.
The government has frequently stated its commitment to reducing the cost of governance. However, the recent purchase of a new presidential jet has led people to question its commitment to this cause. The presidency needed a reliable aircraft, which is also more cost-effective than chartering aircraft and frequently maintaining old ones. President Tinubu gave a directive to reduce the size of the Nigeria’s delegation to the just concluded United Nations General Assembly as a sign of his administration’s commitment to reducing the cost of governance.
People have the right to protest as long as it is peaceful; however, the #FearlessInOctober protest was unnecessary as most of the demands made have been overtaken by events. It is also worthy to note that some of the arrested #EndBadGovernance protesters have been released. Protest is not the only way to make our voices heard, nor is it the most effective.
Kenechukwu Aguolu,
Kenerek1@gmail.com
