Beyond the anger in the land!

AYO OYOZE BAJE FROM GUARDIAN

“No money, no food, no fuel, no electric power supply, no justice, no equity, yet all our politicians are concerned about now is how to grab and retain power through the forthcoming general elections! Nigerians now queue for fuel, queue for their own money and queue for PVC in our fatherland!

Worse still, the current currency redesign has drastically reduced the much-needed cash flow, putting millions of Nigerians in the pit of acute hunger and desperation. Did you watch the video of the lady who stripped herself half-naked inside a banking hall to express her outrage at their services, that went viral on social media? It is despicable. Imagine the sad situation that you cannot withdraw your own money, old or new currency from the bank or the ATM ”. He responded.

Indeed, that brought to mind the timeless song, ‘Suffering and Smiling’ as released by the late Afro-beat music icon, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. If the situation was as terrible as painted in the hit song back in 1978 and Nigerians are still battling with similar challenges 45 years on, something must be wrong with the type of democracy we operate; the type of leaders we have had, and still have, as well as the mindset of Nigerians, in the face of harrowing hunger and preventable poverty.

According to the World Bank Report: “As of April 2021, the inflation rate was the highest in four years. Food prices accounted for over 60 per cent of the total increase in inflation. Nigeria’s economic growth is being hindered by food inflation, heightened insecurity, unemployment and stalled reforms”. Such warning inspired yours truly’s opinion essay titled: ‘Mister President, there is hunger in the land!’ on May 19, 2022.

But over a month into the new year, 2023 the situation has worsened. Despite the forecast by Focus Economics Consensus Forecast panelists expecting inflation to average 18.5% in 2023 it has already galloped to 21.23%. Not left out is that of the ever soaring food inflation.

For instance, while a 50kg of rice moved fromN7,000 in 2015 to N25,000 in 2022, it currently sells for N36,000.A basket of tomato that cost between N2,000 to N3,000 back in 2015 now sells for N28,000.

Similarly, a tuber of yam that sold forN500 back then now goes forN1,500. A bag of garri that cost N400 sells for N1,100. A bottle of vegetable oil that used to sell for N400 then now goes forN1,000. A bag of pure water that sold for N80 now goes for N250.

All these are in one way or the other traceable to the huge jump in the cost of premium motor spirit that sold at N87 per litre in 2015 but with the hardship costs between N270 to N350 per litre, depending on which part of the country you are buying it from. The exchange rate of the Naira has since risen from N128 to a Dollar to some N680 to N700, depending also on the source one is getting it from either the bank or the black market. Perhaps, from the ubiquitous Aboki-currency changer.

As reflected in 2022, whether the president likes to hear this or not, the bitter truth is that we are currently confronted not only with hunger but the critical issues of extreme poverty and food/ nutrition insecurity. As at November, 2022 the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that63% of persons living within Nigeria (133

The National MPI is 0.257, indicating that poor people in Nigeria experience just over one-quarter of all possible deprivations. 65% of the poor (86 million people) live in the North, while 35% (nearly 47 million) live in the South.