Bloody Christmas, Food Stampede, and President Tinubu failure

The unfortunate incident in which 67 people lost their lives in a scramble for rice in December 2024, is a stark reminder of the paradox that defines Nigeria as a nation. A country blessed with 39.6 million hectares of arable land, capable of feeding its population and even exporting surplus, is home to citizens who die in desperation, struggling for a bag of rice.

The incident was a shameful indictment of the nation’s failure to harness its vast resources to ensure that the basic needs of its citizens are met. The fact that people have to fight for a bag of rice, a staple food, is a clear indication that the agricultural sector is in coma

With 39.6 million hectares of arable land, Nigeria has the potential to be a breadbasket, not only for its citizens but also for the West African sub-region.

Decades of neglect, mismanagement, and corruption have led to a situation where the agricultural sector is underdeveloped, and the people are forced to rely on imported food.

The consequences of this failure are dire. Poverty, hunger, and malnutrition have become endemic, with millions of Nigerians struggling to make ends meet. The stampedes in Oyo, Abuja and Anambra is a sad reminder of the human cost of the nation’s failure.

Since President Bola Tinubu took over the baton of leadership, Nigeria finds itself grappling with an unprecedented economic crisis. Inflation is at an all-time high, the cost of living continues to skyrocket, and millions of Nigerians are struggling to make ends meet.

But President Bola Tinubu keep insisting his administration is making hard decisions to put the nation’s economy in the path of prosperity.

During his maiden media chat aired on December 23, 2024, Tinubu reaffirmed his commitment to the controversial reforms of his administration that have stupendously nosedived the nation’s economic landscape.

President Bola Tinubu made it clear that he has no regrets about the removal of the fuel subsidy regime, a decision he implemented on May 29, 2023, immediately after assuming office. “I made the swift decision to preserve Nigeria’s future and that of generations yet unborn,” he stated.

The move, he argued, was necessary to redirect funds toward critical infrastructure and social investments. Though, while the rationale may have been rooted in long-term sustainability, its immediate impact on ordinary Nigerians has been very devastating.

The President also defended his administration’s tax reform bills, currently before the National Assembly, insisting they were essential to Nigeria’s economic recovery. Despite significant pushback, particularly from Northern leaders who fear the reforms could deepen regional disparities, Tinubu maintained that these policies were non-negotiable. “The tax reforms have come to stay,” he declared, further solidifying his reputation as a leader unwilling to waver, even in the face of widespread criticism.

President Bola Tinubu and his failed economic reforms.

The National Bureau of Statistics disclosed that petrol pump price rose by over 152 per cent in the event of this economic execution. Then, the consequences of this were immediate. The cost of transportation sank into a free fall. As transportation is crucial in virtually all businesses, the exorbitantly high fares stirred similar conditions across social services and staples.

To give a practical illustration, for barrow pushers, the increased cost of fuel meant that they had to either raise their prices or absorb the additional expense. Many were unable to do either, as their customers were already struggling to make ends meet. As a result, many barrow pushers saw their incomes plummet, leaving them unable to provide for themselves and their families.

Small businesses, such as block-making industries, also suffered greatly. The increased cost of fuel led to higher production costs, making it difficult for these businesses to remain competitive. Many were forced to reduce their workforce or even shut down operations entirely.

As the days turned into weeks, the situation only grew more severe. Many of these small business owners and service renderers found themselves struggling to put food on the table. The once-thriving barrow pushers and block-making industries were now on the brink of collapse, leaving their owners and employees to face the very real prospect of hunger.

Besides the removal of petrol subsidy, another devastating policy of the Tinubu administration is the flouting of the Nigerian currency. This policy is more distressing as it came at a time when the country still depends heavily on imported products.

The implication is that Nigerians who deal in importation are driven to source more for foreign currencies such as dollar rather than the naira. Consequently, the Nigerian currency is continually devalued. As production costs skyrockets owing to certain external and internal factors, including import duties, more and more Nigerians are stripped off their purchasing power, leading to hunger and criminality.

Godwill Akpabio, Senate President of Nigeria, after a session of the House, asked lawmakers to prepare for dinner. In doing this, he urged the senators and by extension, Nigerians to endeavour to seek or accept free food anywhere they found one. Some days later, an inferno erupted in Jigawa state claiming dozens of lives who had gathered to scoop spilled petrol from a fallen tanker.

The petrol fire incident and the December stampedes are a testament to the heightened situation of hunger in the country and President Bola Tinubu’s leadership failure.

PDP blame Tinubu administration for stampedes.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), blamed President Tinubu-led APC government for the disaster.

PDP said the stampede is “an ugly testament of the alarming level of misery, poverty, hunger, starvation, sense of hopelessness, and desperation for survival currently plaguing the nation under the overtly insensitive, corrupt, and rudderless Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) government.”

The claim was made in a statement issued by the spokesman of the party, Mr. Debo Ologunagba.

According to the PDP, the APC-led government has destroyed the once-thriving economy and driven millions of Nigerians into even greater poverty and hunger. Many of these individuals are now turning to suicide and other extreme measures, such as sending slaves abroad and fighting for scraps to survive.

“It is heartbreaking that despite our abundant resources as a nation, Nigerians have been subjected to agonizing life where they die struggling for food.

“This horrifying situation in the country further confirms the APC as a party of ‘political vampires and buccaneers’ who have no iota of regard for human life but rather derive pleasure in the suffering and death of citizens including innocent children.

“Only this explains why the APC administration continues in arrogant false performance claims including empty assurances of food sufficiency while deliberately failing to make the required investments to boost the productive sector, particularly in agriculture and food production.

“This also explains why the APC administration has rejected all advice and suggestions by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians to review the hasty implementation of the suffocating policies of abrupt increase in the price of petroleum products and the floating of the Naira, despite the crippling consequences on the productive sector and life-discounting effect on the citizenry.

“More provoking is that instead of deploying the nation’s resources for the wellbeing of the people, the APC leaders are engaged in massive looting through direct pillaging of government vaults, budget padding, contract inflation, oil subsidy scam, palliative racketeering and phony programmes which have no benefit to the lives of the citizens”, PDP said.

The opposition party called on Nigerians to hold the Tinubu-led APC administration responsible for the remote cause of these tragic occurrences for which it must recompense.

“Our Party insists that any administration that is sensitive and cares for the people would have since introduced intervention programmes to ease the suffering and improve on the welfare of the masses which is the primary purpose of government.

“For the umpteenth time, the PDP demands the immediate review of all the suffocating economic and tax policies of the APC administration which are bringing misery and death to Nigerians daily,” it said.

Stampede incidents reflect ‘systemic failures’ — Obi

Also, Mr Peter Obi, speaking on the stampedes, blamed hunger and systemic inefficiencies as the key causes.

In a statement, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last election, said he is deeply saddened by the incidents and puzzled as to why citizens would lose their lives in the search for a meal.

“While I will not cast blame but instead appreciate the organizers of these respective events for their kind gestures in providing palliatives and support to society, especially the poor, these tragedies reflect the systemic failures that plague our society,” he wrote.

“The desperate quest for survival in these harsh economic times has driven our people to extremes in their search for food, often at the cost of their lives.

“How do we explain that in a nation blessed with abundant resources, our people are dying of hunger in such numbers?

“How is it possible that we cannot feed our citizens despite the vast, fertile lands our nation is endowed with? My heart bleeds.

“One can only imagine the pain their families are enduring at this moment. My heart goes out to them.”

Additionally, a security expert, Stephen Adebayo speaking exclusively with NewsBand Newspaper said the stampedes was primarily the fault of the government.

“The Nigerian political class has customarily been employing hunger as a tool of influence. As demons, politicians in power impose outrageous and fiendish rules and regulations. The masses use this as justification by crazily reacting to little opportunities. At this juncture, the citizens are led neither by conscience nor reason, but by concupiscence and survival instinct.”, he said.

However, Nigeria’s history is replete with leaders who have failed to deliver on their promises. From the military dictators to the democratically elected presidents, the story is one of corruption, incompetence, and a lack of accountability.

The country’s development has been hindered by the selfish interests of its leaders, who have consistently put their own needs above those of the people.

Nigerian politicians should bury their heads in shame due to their failure to provide quality leadership and address the myriads of challenges confronting the country. The current painful reality is a testament to the widespread disillusionment with Nigeria’s leadership and the need for a fundamental change in the country’s governance structure.

Their failure to provide for the basic needs of their citizens, combined with their corruption and lack of accountability, has brought shame to the country and its people. It is time for a new generation of leaders who will prioritize the welfare of the people and work towards building a better future for Nigeria.

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