These tough times will last

For now, it seems it is only the downtrodden that should feel the crushing effect of the misdeeds of government, while looting of the treasury has become a national sport.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari are the same. But in style, they differ and I think this is to be found in their intelligence quotient. Bola Tinubu, the whole world can dispute it, is intelligent while Muhammadu Buhari is less endowed. Muhammadu Buhari hides under a false moral code thinking morality is the only requirement for good governance. At the end of the day, Nigerians who had been deceived that Buhari could not be corrupted found that corrupt Babangida, an ex-military president was far better than 'Saint' Muhammadu Buhari on the corruption index. Babangida boasted: "I'm a saint compared to Buhari." Tinubu is never out to convince anybody as to his being incorruptible; only the Nigerian courts can rule that Tinubu is not corrupt, but Tinubu is intelligent and has men and women around who can help him deceive Nigerians intelligently. Buhari was crude and inarticulate, you get bored listening to him but Tinubu and his strategists are master deceivers, you always think after listening to him; "let's give him a chance."

Such was their deceptive scheme when Tinubu recently spoke highly on the passing of late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on most topics on which he had displayed apathy even to the consternation of his Yoruba tribe. Akeredolu suddenly became a courageous fighter who stood against anti-federalists; whereas Tinubu has noted at different times there was nothing wrong with the present Constitution which informed Nigerians, including one of the writers, the late Professor Obi Nwabueze, observed that the Constitution is the problem of the nation. Unfortunately, articulate and informed opinion writer, Lasisi Lagunju who said he read that speech of Tinubu twice and fell for it was taken in by that deception. When I read Lasisi Lagunju, I thought he was probably unaware that the speech couldn't have been written by Tinubu but by his handlers who like him are masters of deception, an art which they call "strategy." Intelligently, they are putting Tinubu back in the minds of Nigerians especially those from the south. And if Southerners don't read between the lines, especially the Yoruba they will begin to see Tinubu as their champion. Tinubu is nobody's champion, he is champion of himself, his wife, his children and his acolytes.

Such again was Tinubu's New Year message to Nigerians. Anybody who read, heard or read the news of the message will see Tinubu, except he's the careful type, as a friend of the people. Premium Times headlined it: "I know Nigerians are frustrated with my government." Buhari won't say anything like that, he was always ready to tell lies and deny the very obvious. Tinubu didn't deny the reality but he understated it. Nigerians are not only frustrated with Tinubu's government, but they want him out if possible that same New Year's Day. Tinubu offered no hope except to buffalo Nigerians, they should be unbowed even if it means they and their children dying. Meanwhile, Seyi, Tinubu's son is having a swell time at the Aso Rock. Tinubu himself is living fat off the Nigerian state. The legislators are riding N160 million SUVs each and collecting salaries and allowances in millions of naira. His praises for the resilience and hard work of Nigerians are only a gimmick to deceive. You can only be hard-working if there is work to do. But there is no work to do, not even the streets to sweep. Men have lost their jobs and only the wives in petty trade are carrying the responsibility of the home.

Somebody close to me told me the story of how he had to intervene in the payment of the SSCE examination fees of his neighbour's daughter. A fee of N33,500.00 was slammed on each science pupil to be paid within days. An expiry date of 29 December 2023 was fixed by the Oyo State government which claims to be running a free education program. When the parents complained, most of them were women because their husbands were absent on duty, and they were asked to source loans from an alleged loan shark called LAPO. That organization is alleged to be reputed for a very crude means of taking back its loans, a means that has resulted in many defaulters, mostly women committing suicide when they could not bear the shame they are taken through. My friend, the Good Samaritan said he decided to intervene so the girl in question would not miss the SSCE examination. Meanwhile, there is no guarantee that this girl and others like her will pass the examination. The father did not buy her a single exercise book she requested because he asked her to wait for "Seyi." Seyi Makinde is the governor of Oyo State and he runs a free education program. Meanwhile, for the whole of the first term, Governor Seyi Makinde has not given a single exercise book and no textbook. A pupil in one of the schools said the books are rationed out to them. "If you collect Mathematics textbooks you won't get English textbooks." In their promotion examination from SS2 to SS3, the pupils were not given a report sheet, those who were promoted were just told they had passed their exams. The school authorities said they could not give report sheets because they received no supply from the government. The Good Samaritan said he was pained by the poverty of women who were asked to pay N33,500.00 for each child; a payment which most likely will not yield results since most of them are not sure of success. Last year, so it was that the bulk of them failed and there is no guarantee that it will not be repeated this year. These children have no opportunity to study at home because they live in unventilated rooms in areas where the electricity supply organization is permanently on leave, thereby throwing the entire night in darkness. The fathers are not interested in the education of their wards. If they pass, yes, but if they fail they are married off as second, third or even fourth wife to another unserious and jobless husband. For the boys, they join the army of street urchins who troop the streets smoking hemp and extorting money from motorists and car owners. The Good Samaritan was telling stories of what is happening in Ibadan, Oyo state, the city from which late Chief Obafemi Awolowo built a robust free education system and which launched the Western Region, now southwest into the forefront of education attainment in Nigeria.

The Good Samaritan had to put a call to the principal of this girl's school to confirm that the principal got the receipt which was screenshoted and sent to his WhatsApp and to ask a few questions concerning the subjection of the poor parents to such hardship. The principal was different from other teachers in the state he had encountered. At least this one spoke good English and was bold and able to defend his actions and to say it as it is. "Are you not the ones hailing the government even when it is obvious they are not doing well," the principal asked. When the Good Samaritan denied ever hailing the government and that he was just intervening as a concerned citizen, then the principal asked again: "What do you expect us to do in the absence of necessary facilities to work with." The principal, though he was not direct, it was obvious to the Good Samaritan he was talking about the absence of exercise books and textbooks for the pupils and other motivations for teachers.

These are the Nigerians who are already bowed that Tinubu and his hack writers are asking not to be bowed. I think what remains for Nigerians is to break. When Tinubu said the government could not fund university education, he further destroyed education in the nation; he took it out of the reach of the poor. The truth is that it is not that government cannot fund university education but that government cannot tame its insatiable material comfort. At the time Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the presidential candidate of the Unity Party of Nigeria, UPN and Shehu Shagari, the presidential candidate of the National Party of Nigeria, NPN, Shagari, the NPN argued that the country had no money to fund free education. Awolowo countered that there are three areas from which the government of Shagari could save N6 billion which his party, UPN had calculated would fund free education throughout the nation. He told Shehu Shagari about these three areas.

The situation is the same today. It is because the personnel of government all over the nation cannot discipline themselves to save money and deny themselves their over-bloated demand for luxury that they say there is not enough to go around. If stealing and excessive luxury will be curtailed, there is enough even in today's bad economy to fund a good welfare package which will cushion Nigerians in many areas where they are feeling the crushing weight of the government's tough actions. For now, it seems it is only the downtrodden that should feel the crushing effect of the misdeeds of government, while looting of the treasury has become a national sport, at the same time President Tinubu, the governors, the federal and state legislators, and the civil servants at both the federal and state governments are living large on the nation. If this continues, Nigerians must know then that these tough times will last as long as these men are in power.

Tunde Akande is both a journalist and pastor. He earned a Master's degree in MassCommunication from the University of Lagos.