As many Nigerians woke up on June 12, their expectations were very high.
This will be the first public address by the new President after his bitter-sweet inaugural speech that sent the nation into an economic frenzy.
Many Nigerian jurists continue to make several comments analyzing the impact of the inaugural speech on our nation’s economic and social landscape, one of such jurist is the President of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) Mr. Kunle Ogunba SAN.
So we ask Mr. Ogunba SAN what he thinks of the June 12 address delivered by His Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Mr. Ogunba SAN notes :
“When news filtered that President Bola Ahmed TINUBU is to make a national broadcast in commemoration of the June 12 struggles, expectations were understandably high in the wake of the abrupt increase in the price of fuel on the 29th day of May 2023 from 195 Naira to a whopping 537 Naira per liter by what is termed a removal of subsidy on that particular petroleum product!.
Before that pronouncement; there have been raging arguments as to whether what is termed a subsidy on the product exists with ferocious arguments for and against on both sides of the divide.
What is apparent and visible to all is that the price of the product increased astronomically with a consequential increase in the price of goods and transportation with a concomitant increase in the price of staple foods and common household consumables!
It is against that backdrop that expectations were high that the President, who came prepared on the issue of subsidies is equally well prepared in articulating policies deliberately targeted at cushioning the effects of the sudden and unexpected increase in the price of that product that appears to be the bloodstream running through the veins of the Nigerian economy!.
However, apart from chronicling the journey to our nascent democracy from the June 12, 1993 struggles with particular mention of the martyrs along the journey, the President fell acutely shy of mentioning the pains and agonies of the moment attendant to the sudden increase in the price of that commodity!.
Even though, the President admirably mentioned that the gains of the price increase will be deployed for investment in massive infrastructure, education et al but those are fairy tales in the ears of the sundry masses who are daily assailed with the agony of their daily existentialism because of the attendant inflationary trends in the cost of living which is now made more acute by the increase in the price of fuel!.
The agony is real and the sooner this new government pays particular attention to the cries of the masses the better, it cannot be wished away!
It is in that wise that we in the NIGERIAN LAW SOCIETY call for urgent action to address the plight of the teeming masses.
Indeed, this is the first time that the word ‘subsidy’ enters our lexicon that any government would take any action as regards the same without any arrangement to cushion the effects.
Indeed, any attempt to ignore this clarion call is akin to playing an ‘ostrich game’ as it could lead to a hike in the cankerworm of corruption as people particularly the civil servants have gapping mouths to feed while not advocating the ubiquitous ‘stomach infrastructure’!
The time to address this seething rage is now, leaving it to a time later or a future time is dangerous to the polity.
GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY NIGERIA, LONG LIVE THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA”
And so we await the government’s plan to take the necessary steps to alleviate the hardship Nigerians are currently experiencing from words spoken and deeds done.
