By
Coker Onita
This writer is of the strong opinion that if Alhaji Lai Mohammed, our loquacious Minister of lnformation and Culture, had been foretold that at the tail end of this administration’s tenure, prices of various items, including food would have gone through the rooftops, he would disagree.
Now, the chicken has come home to roost. Life has become more unbearable for Nigerians. Nigeria has become the celebrated “poverty capital” of the world. No thanks to the Muhammadu Buhari administration that came into office in 2015 with all kinds of empty promises.
Just last week, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, Nigeria’s former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), reacted to the border closure saga that had further pauperised Nigerians.
In Atlku’s characteristic manner, he spoke with candour and authority on the issue of border control and management. As President, the former Customs officer said he would open our borders and allow the economy to compete favourably with others. Nigeria will respect international trade treaties, especially those signed with ECOWAS and other African states.
It was this statement Alhaji Lai Mohammed picked up and said: “An uncontrolled border would lead to the return of food and weapons into the country and worsen hunger and insecurity.”
Mohammed added that before 2015, Nigeria had only 10 fertiliser plants that had now increased to 142. He said ditto for rice mills. It increased from 10 to 80 integrated rice mills, swearing that border opening would result in loss of jobs and investments.
Senator Dino Melaye, one of Atiku’s spokespersons, has replied, saying that Buhari’s August 2019 border closure had worsened the economic situation of Nigerians: “Rice has become more costly both before and after the closure.”
Dino added that border management and control was an area Atiku “exudes exceptional competence.”
Atiku therefore knows what to do, having risen to the top echelon of the Department of Customs.
The reality of the matter is that this government has NO solution to the increasing cost of food that has made a great number of Nigerians to go to bed with empty stomach. With so many confused and confusing policy somersaults, the bigger the hunger has grown in the land.
So horrible is the situation that families are finding it increasingly difficult to put food on the table. Nigerians have described this Christmas celebration as the worst ever in Nigerian history.
Let’s face it: Only a change of government is the solution to the hunger, poverty and disease pervading the entire Nigerian landscape; and Atiku holds the ace towards ameliorating the situation.
FORMER EDITOR OF PRIME PEOPLE AND PUBLISHER/CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF TODAY’S CHOICE MAGAZINE (TC), COKER ONITA IS DIRECTOR, INFORMATION AND STRATEGY OF THE ATIKU PEOPLE UNITED (APU).