Tony Abolo
It has often been said that whoever occupies a high office, ends up doing two things – either elevating the office and the stool or bringing everything else to his/her pint size and frame of mind. Tinubu has just done the latter and in consequence is shrinking Nigeria into his warped concept of growth, creating minions and dominated serfs.
Nigerians have never thought of themselves as a diminished people or a slave to the West. After the wasted and barren eight years of Buhari, Tinubu was touted as an emancipator, an expander, a man whose vision would re-enkindle Federalism, nationalism, an expanded Nigeria, a Country of influence and a resuscitated BIG Black HOPE.
But three years down the line, (we are not waiting for his fourth year), it is a nation in misery, hunger and Ekiti elections has shown his hands, that he is not a democrat and not the man he ever claimed to be.
The Lagos story was nothing more than a hoax and plain false propaganda narratives. It was after touted in the 2022 – 2023 campaign cycle, how he made Lagos the 5th largest economy. A big lie it was.
Lagos has been growing since 1860 when it was a Protectorate, and thereafter, the early Lagos as the Nation’s capital, the imprints of Awolowo, of Jakande, of Otedola and years after of military Administrations, and thereafter, of Raji Fashola, Akinwunmi Ambode and now Sanwo-Olu.
Whatever he could claim to have done, in the main, was dividing up Lagos State into LCDAs, Local Council areas and organizing BETA, a Taxation outfit meant to benefit Lagos State, ostensibly, but we least fathomed it, it was all for himself in some coy way.
But when it comes to the remaking of Lagos in terms of its new looks, it has been “others” at the helm of Lagos through the years.
The 2026 Ekiti election has followed his matra-snatch it, grab it and run with it. And in 2027, Nigerians are expecting the Grandmaster to replicate all that on the nation in an antithetical way that would defy the people’s votes and reeks of an imposition.
Already, it was a template begun with the removal of Ganduje as the Chairman of the party, the nomination of Yilwatda as a replacement, the nomination of Professor Amupitan in the INEC and then the script of the 2026 Electoral Law.
It is all Democracy according to Tinubu. For years, we have been envisaging a STATE POLICE, ever before insecurity festered. At least, here it comes, not because of insecurity or any other viable purpose, but first planned to became, what Tinubu wants it to be, a STATE POLICE for a 2027 elections.
This new intrusion has nothing to do with decentalisation or restructuring but a State Police that serves his ends. And speaking about restructuring, which we believe is a sine qua non to restore us to a 1963 Constitution, we now have a so-called Regional Development Commission. Is this a supra agency? To what purpose and what in four years has it achieved, excepting duplicating Federal and State interventions, nullifying the benefits and purpose of the NDDC with the creation of imitatory commissions all over.
It is pure politicking and wastage of resources as it does not achieve much more nothing than the Federal and State governments are not doing. The fuel subsidy removal and the merging of the foreign exchange rate, two policies the administration that its defenders have been touting as most beneficial to reformatting the economy have been the most disastrous in effect. Policies have intended and unintended consequences.
The twin policies have had most unintended consequences with crushing effects on businesses, homes and the entire economy.
The steps were necessary to take, but in a Tinubu manner, they were carried out in a cavalier manner, most unthought through and when Nigerians are screaming, the Administration is deaf, more so, because Tinubu himself has said, he is a stubborn politician. Which then means, no matter the effects of bad policies, he will keep at it, because, he intends that they produce pains and nothing pleasant in terms of good governances. And of course, he means it, as with more grinding and excruciating poverty, it serves his ends for elections.
People can stand by at polling booths and collect their four more years salary of N20,000.00 as in Ekiti.
He must be excited at the disaster he has created, otherwise, how can Bayo Onanuga his spokesman come out and tell a suffering population under a grueling and relentless inflation, that, “he does not see the hunger Nigerians are complaining about”.
Of course the boast is because the Ministries and Security Agencies have been denied their expected budgetary allocations. While part of the monies have been diverted to paying back international debts, where then is the balance money?
Saved up to pay us our four more years’ wages at the polls in 2027? That the nation is in total decline, a nation that has no influence even on the continent of Africa (we cannot “shout” on Cameroon, Chad or Benin Republic our immediate neighbours), all the indices of a nation not only in decline, but for all he cares, we could disappear, all to conform to the vision and imagination of Tinubu; – The military is overextended – Our finances are in a terrible state caused by a mix of increased taxation, money printing, money borrowing and over rising debt.- The lower and middle classes are suffering from rising food prices (due to subsidy removal, exchange rate merger and consequent inflation) – Internal conflicts and ethnicities dissatisfaction- Nigeria lacks direction and no leadership.
If it took Tinubu 20 years of preparation to get the Presidency, one begins to wonder what was the quality of the thinking and planning? If all it was, was about power, or so it seems, we then ask, power for what?
The quality of his thoughts about power has only shrunk the nation into his image and likeness. I will not go into any descriptions. This administration is ending up a nightmare and we are so sunken into a cesspool.
Look at his cohorts those he is sharing power or distributing power to – a coterie of persons whose morality and values cannot make a nation rise. This is utter disaster.
Have you ever seen any nation building autobahns, expanded coast to coast roads all in the name of expanding an economy and connecting communities, while the internal roads are impassable?
Only a Tinubu can evolve such ridiculous plans. We hear there are plans for new rail lines and new airports to expand infrastructure. Great as these appear, where is the productive economy, human capital development and wealth in the citizens and polity to pay for another round of humongous amount of loans?
Tinubu wants to be called a bold man who took more loans to develop Nigeria. But what kind of boldness is it, while the populace are grinding in poverty, unemployment and swimming in an economy that is not growing in capacity to meet future obligations?
Is this leadership or empty bravado? Of course we may say it before time. We have to adjust to a Tinubu induced chaos for another four years as he has made up his mind that no one should threaten his second term ambition. That whether we love, hate or like him, he is here to be a fixture for another four years.
Just as Nigerians ians are coping with the aftermath mess of Buhari’s eight years, it is the aftermath of Tinubu’s eight years, most citizens are not prepared to hazard. In the end Nigerians would not recognize what was called Nigeria. Prophetically, Chinua Achebe said it, we shall all be saying, “There was a Country.”
