In 2015, when the champions of change were chronicling the many allegedly sins of the former president Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan. A refined and great democrat who found it very evil that blood of Nigerians should flow for him to remain in power, moved by a rare strong conviction he conceded defeat at the most emotionally charged political process, friends became foes, families were torn apart, the nation became divided more than ever along ethnic lines, with this perfect humble act to save our fragile nation from breaking into yet another unwanted and unwarranted civil war. President Jonathan became the most foolish leader, in the eyes of the many who didn’t understand the sacredness of life. He gave up his seat at the highest and most powerful table to sit at. Please indulge me a little, because post Jonathan Nigeria is yet to witness such a character amongst her rulers. A fine gentleman is JONA indeed, as fondly called.
Anyway back to my narrative, some years back I wrote an article about the fuel scarcity and the hardship it brought to the common Nigerians, simply because the change mantra mongers were busy occupying Ojota instead of having a round table discussion on how to resolve the issue.
So let me retrospectively visit that time in Nigeria, which is entirely my opinion.
The federal government lead by the amiable Dr Goodluck Jonathan with the best brains as his ministers and advisers had a great economic plan called the TRANSFORMATION AGENDA totaling Fifty items which amongst are Healthcare, security, women inclusion in politics and governance, education, labour and employment, entrepreneurship, infrastructural development, governance and diplomacy, corruption just to mention a few.
A well detailed plan that would pull us out of the economic quagmire and position us as the new frontier for great global partnerships. With Europe in distress and America under President Obama trying to pull out of a great recession that had befallen them, Africa becoming the next large economic business hub that various world leaders were frequenting more than usual.
It became a matter of partnership through investment and diplomacy. The once dubbed “dark continent” showed a great potential frontier to light up the globe. In all of these, Nigeria was soaring like the great eagle, having gotten the Paris club debt sorted, it rose fast to become the largest economy in Africa, oh how Nigeria was the country to beat at that time.
At the table of nations, leaders would rise for Nigeria to take a seat, our children were accorded every right deserved as the education tourism boomed for the western world. Nigeria was often referred to as the world’s biggest economic surprise. The world institutions which seemed like an exclusive reserve of the “world powers” took note, IMF and world Bank had our daughters note worthy to mention one such as ( Dr Ngozi Okonji Iweala) at the very top management levels, they became great members of the global Economic community.
The sweeping effect of these became the groundwork for our young men and women to become bosses in their own rights all it took was being innovative and the GEJ lead government would step in and there and then You Win. Enterprises grew and small businesses became the backbone on which Nigeria became the emerging economy and the number 1 in Africa, overtaking the big names.
Oh how those days were indeed the glorious Nigeria.
Women found their voices, conferences were going on and affirmations from those gatherings were taken seriously by the GEJ lead government. Women were appointed to key positions and the financial institutions also recognized the great input of women that a policy of moveable collaterals were put in place to create the ease of doing business for women. Yes moveable collaterals. We could use our designer bags and shoes, hair weave and any item of great cost and value to borrow money to fund their businesses.
Their was great prosperity in the land, it was now possible for any Nigerian who had the will and IQ could be the next rich person.
The civil service was not left out, the systematic rot was being checked imagine were dead people were on the payroll of government!!! Do you then blame President Buhari when he appointed dead people into his cabinet. How would he have known that they were dead after all they were very much still in the system.
Anyway, the strength of the Nigerian state was resonating across the globe until the change mantra singers came along and your guess is as good as mine because now presently we are living that change and no matter how rich you are and can afford all the good things of life, has the system worked for you? Were you able to spend all that money during the covid lock down? Am just asking?
So now I hear that there is another lock down, this time not for covid sake but the comrades are at it again, only this time the ojota champions are everywhere in Abuja so how potent and strong will this resonate? Its back to that poor women I spoke about in my article several years ago, who now with her two thousand naira trading capital, to buy vegetables will bear the brunt of this unbearable hike in fuel price.
Here is the picture, she spends one thousand out of that two thousand on transportation, then the remaining one thousand naira to buy vegetables, at the end of the market day how much is her take home to her young children and a husband who may have been put out of employment due to downsizing by organizations.
With Lagos being a cosmopolitan city, a lot of middle class and low class families don’t own homes.
I leave my take here let your imagination lead you to conclude this write up in your own way. As for me, till I write again I love you for reading.
Ada.
Adaobi O. Alex-Oni is an Honorary Ambassador and a recipient of the Nelson Mandela Leadership Award by the African Youth Parliament. A broadcaster and writer, she is the convener of the ROWEAD conference. A social and women’s rights activist, she is a promoter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. For more information, visit her website www.rowead.org