Mr. President Don’t Be Deceive With The Sweet Mouth

Abba Dukawa

It’s apt to quote him direct from what he told Nigerians.

“He understands the hardships that Nigerians are going through at the moment.” Stated this in his nationwide broadcast to mark nigeria@63.

“I am well aware that for some time now the conversations and debates have centered on the rising cost of living, high inflation which is now above 28%, and the unacceptable high under-employment rate. From the boardrooms at Broad Street in Lagos to the main streets of Kano and Nembe Creeks in Bayelsa, I hear the groans of Nigerians who work hard every day to provide for themselves and their families.” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu New Year message.

In a recent report from the Global Hunger Index (GHI) revealed that Nigeria holds the 109th position out of 125 countries assessed, with a score of 28.3 points. The GHI rankings placed Nigeria ahead of only 17 countries, including Zambia, India, and Timor-Leste

Nigeria has dropped six places lower in the 2023 Global Hunger Index (GHI) ranking 109th out of 125 countries, signifying the prevalence of hunger in the nation, according to a report published on it website. In 2023, the country ranked below nations like Sudan, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, North Korea, and Guinea.

Nigeria is grappling with record-high inflation, with an overall rate of 28.92 per cent and a food inflation rate of 33.93 per cent as at December 2023. Despite the federal government declaring a state of emergency on food security, efforts to curb rising food prices have not yet yielded results. Inflation persists, causing food prices to skyrocket on a month-to-month basis.

Who are we going to believed president Tinubu’s courageous mind for admitting citizens suffering, opportune sweet mouths appointees that intentionally wanted to deceived him or Global Hunger Index (GHI) report.

Contrary to their claimed If there is no hunger in the country surely there is
high cost of food in Nigeria which is alarming but government officials not seeing it or intentionally distorts the reality either on self-survival or just to be sweet-mouths to the president but in simple term President should not let them deceived him because the appointees hurriedly forgotten the suffering of the masses since they live in the comfort zone and act like do not know where the shoe pinches.

Almost ten months after the general election they wanted to make up the costs of foodstuff to opposition parties execration so it was pathetic for them and demonstrated their insensitive to the suffering masses are going through. Let the truth be told, the costs of food price too high in Nigeria. Anyone denied about situation maybe is leaving in another planet.

Let them have courage to go to the markets they can see the anger of citizens on their faces. The situation is alarming for any sensitive person in the country. there is need for administration to avert the unforeseen circumstances as saying goes a hungry man is a angry man. Against the backdrop many people going to bed on empty stomachs due to paucity of funds making them hungry. For instance, rice is the most staple food in the country is increasingly unaffordable, a 50kg bag of local rice has moved from about N45,000 to N60,000. As it’s now, more than 2/3 of the country population are either without foods or the price is beyond their affordability. Let the truth be told there is massive cost of living in the land, which clearly flies in the face of Nigerians.

Nigerians still languishing in extreme hardship; daily survival has become an uphill challenge and what people are going through in the country is reaching the highest apogee since the late 80s. All these were happening under a “Renewal Hope Administration” So to speaks always history repeats itself but Prof Barbara Tuchmann of Harvard University, USA arguing that history does not repeat itself; man does. Considering the ways things happens in the country This clearly resonated with Barbara’s view that History has already recorded that In 1984, inflation reached unprecedented heights; workers purchasing power declined precipitously.

If care not taking with recent protest here and there across the country on high cost of living it may turn to unwanted situation God for bid. On part of the government the measure is not about releasing tons of grain or cash handout currently going on. Need for the government to arrest unnecessary sky rocketed of commodities which it deliberate cause by local rice milling manufacturers and essential commodities merchants by hiking the prices at their will while government doing nothing to control the damaged cause by these heartless manufacturers and commodities sellers.

To the best of my understanding Buhari’s administration is to blamed for this problems because it’s heartless policy of closing land border. Even though the shutting land border has failed to stop the flow of arms into the country. Insurgents, militants, bandits, kidnappers, name them, carry arms freely and kill at will. The shutting land border had not achieved it intended target. Nigeria not gain from closing its borders is far away from achieving them.

Our local production has not reached the level being envisaged by former administration policy. Nigeria is far from achieving self reliant on rice production Annually, Nigeria consumes 6.7 million tons of rice annually. It produces 3.5 million tons locally. The deficit of 3.2 million tons.

The only impact on teaming populace’s wellbeing by the closure provoked increment of prices of commodities. I’m sure they either not know the true hunger situation before ordinary Nigerians or just saying its to pleasing president’s.

Dukawa can be reached oatabbahydukawa@gmail.com. 08075704500