Opinion

The Padded Palliative ?

Published

3 months ago

July 15, 2023

Hammed Tajudeen

Ali Abubakar Sadiq

By Ali Abubakar Sadiq

I dont know when we will ever wake up from the slave mentality we are conditioned to be. After the gruelling Buhari years, Tinubu came and in one fell swoop removes subsidy, increased tariffs and what appears as an after thought announced palliatives for 12 million Nigerians, less than 5% of the population and less than 10% of the poorest Nigerians.

The palliative package comes as mere equivalent of 3 gallons of petrol (=N=8,000). I dont know how far it will cushion the pains of even the poorest Nigerians.

Ironically the announcement was amplified by both the local and international media at the detriment of a more significant news of our fellow citizens occupying the coveted Green Chamber of the House of Representatives and our Lords in the Judicial arm of government.

The annointed members also in their share of palliatives recieves a largess of a whopping 70 billion. Which if translated into the 360 constituencies, each will recieve 194,000,000.

Yes, which will also equates one Honorable member as poor enough to recieve palliative as 24,000 poor Nigerians. Our Lords too enjoys a takehome of 35 billion.

How are Nigerians different from slaves under this kind of scenario? When will we wake up from this reality?

Our politicians should realize they are treading on a dangerous ground. After the harsh Buhari-Emefiele cash policy, election trauma, subsidy removal, tariffs increase which combined to slow down growth and send the economy towards the path of recession and immeasurable hardship on Nigerians, the ruling elite are continuing to feed fat on our commonwealth without a hint of slowing down.

As Tinubu continue to call us to sacrifice, he also continue down the path of extravagant expenditures on the elite…how long will Nigeria continue this “One Chance” ride and survive it?

The 500 billion palliative is certainly going to palliate an insignificant percentage of the masses as well as enrich far more insignificant number of our ruling elites.

If the monies were to be distributed equally to the six geopolitical zones in the country to create at least one agro-allied company for a peculiar crop native to the region, it would create jobs, ensure food security, stimulate growth and would be seen for decades to come instead of the meagre amount given to individuals that would last only a while.

I am beginning to believe that this government is no different from the previous Buhari government and perhaps may even be worse if the continued harsh economic policies are visited on the masses while at the same time the elites continue to enjoy excessive and extravagant lifestyle from public funds.