If you are alive and well, you have every reason to celebrate this season and thank God for the abundance of his grace. This 2020 was a year like no other. Happy New year to all, even though this year’s celebration is unusually low-key.
In my 66 plus years on earth, I have no memory of any year like 2020, in which hundreds of people died rapidly across nations, of this strange Covid-19 pandemic. Since we all know the story, it’s not worth recounting. My prayer is that, God will end this scourge sooner than expected. Amen
We now need divine intervention more than ever in our nation. Terrorists seem to have gained more confidence and are striking with deadly force than ever. Kidnappers now routinely invade our cities and homes, and take people hostage for ransom.
Things are getting worse by the day. The economy is in shambles. Nobody seem to know what to do in the corridors of power, to secure this country and put the economy back on track. The APC government struggled to dislodge the PDP, but has now become even worse than the party it replaced. That’s the obvious truth.
The fact that some folks could even contemplate bringing former president Goodluck Jonathan back to power, shows the level of hopelessness we are in at the moment. The co- called “Clueless leader” of five years ago, has suddenly become the beautiful bride. What nonsense! I hope Dr. Jonathan does not yield to this gambit.
Nigeria’s political class need to get serious. Covid-19 is here in full force again, with a new strain recently discovered. The aftermath of #Endsars protest has not been fully dealt with. The recession is back. All the gains of the recent times have been eroded.
There’s instability on the labour front with strikes, trade disputes here and there. One expects a cohesive, rapid response to these myriad of crises from Aso rock, but what we have been getting is a tepid reaction that clearly suggests that President Muhammadu Buhari does not know what to do to arrest the on-going drift. If he does, he should speak up.
The President seems to have yielded the responsibility of making the crucial decisions of state, to a few trusted aides because, he himself, is at a loss on what to do. The president hardly talks. No nation needs a taciturn president in a crisis situation. We voted to elect Mr. Buhari not his aides. We don’t want a leader by proxy.
The President should engage the people and speak to us directly. We need to know his mind on Boko Haram, Endsars, labour unrest, insecurity, and the oil production crisis due to the decline in the export of petroleum products. He needs to tell us how he hopes to overcome all our perennial troubles, especially the economic crisis. In this New Year, President Buhari must come out of his shell and exercise real leadership. Right now, there are palpable signs of weak leadership everywhere and the APC can’t deny it. The party itself is unsettled by serious internal crisis.
For all of Jonathan’s weaknesses, at least, he often made his points. We heard from him directly and we knew where he stood. In Buhari’s cases, we have had to contend with double speak because, in a bid to cover up his his lack of response to issues, overzealous aides speak for him in conflicting tones. This is unacceptable.
The APC government is notoriously bad with statistics, we don’t ever know the exact figures of casualties in natural disasters; during terror strikes, or when hostages are held by kidnappers, etc.
We do not know precisely how much money we need to finance crucial public works; we have no idea of budget performance details, debt being owed contractors, internal and foreign creditors, etc. All these are shrouded in mystery, or not well articulated.
The country’s population is a product of frequent speculation. Various figures are often being bandied on different occasions. Nigeria’s population maybe 150 million, 180, or 200 million, depending on who is giving the figures. That’s why planning of projects are often off the mark. We keep improvising.
When population figures are politicized or skewed in favour of a region, just to have some political/economic advantage in revenue sharing or election results, development is bound to suffer. Bishop Hassan Kukah’s controversial Christmas message addressed these issues, but the Federal government has accused him of treason.
We are not ungrateful not to appreciate God for keeping us alive to see this day despite all the existential challenges we are facing in the country under the Buhari government. That’s why we should thank God all the same. It’s another New Year.
This is my first article this year. My prayer is that 2021 would be more a prosperous and rewarding year for all of us. Amen.
Weekend Spice: The friends of a deposed leader are very few indeed.
Ok folks, let’s do it again next Friday. Covid-19 is still here o! Keep safe and stay motivated.
• Ayodeji is an author, pastor and activist. Reach him on 09059243004 (whatsapp, email & sms only).