Today's mass action in Nigeria has sent a strong message to the government of Nigeria. It has showed the government that we have risen to the gauntlet thrown by the clueless government of Goodluck Ebere Jonathan.
Why should wasteful government ask its populace to make deep-cutting sacrifices when its hands are soiled with booty from the commonwealth?
As goaty-headed as GEJ seems, several things have been achieved with today's mass action. These includes the following:
- Today's mass action has shown clearly that more Nigerians are convinced that the removal of the fuel subsidy, without corresponding cuts in government spending and wastefulness is sheer wickedness and is not acceptable to the Nigerian people.
- Goodluck Ebere Jonathan's understanding and prioritisation of the country's problems does not reflect the street level reality.
- The government has brought out issues and details which ordinarily would not be in the public domain. We have been exposed to a heavy load of information, facts and figures in the past three days than have never been put out there before. We know the names of the benefactors of the subsidy now. There is so much misinformation too. Yet people are not confused!
- People's demonstration today reinforced the desire of the people to move beyond rhetorics and dwell on the structural problems facing Nigeria. We want change beyond the surface!
- We can demonstrate peacefully with minimal violence.
- The gap between the middle class and the poor is closing up. Goodluck has become a common enemy for all people of Nigeria, except the people of Otuoke!
- Nigerians are tired of being fooled into this cycle of increases without corresponding prudence on the part of the government.
On a sad note, at least two people lost their lives during the protest. May their souls rest in peace.Shot by trigger-happy policemen, we need to ensure that they do not die in vain. We must forge ahead. We must be vigilant to avoid fifth columnists, infilterating the movement. I am sure large amounts of monies are in bags, waiting for distribution to leaders in the struggle who are ready to sell their souls to the devil. Remember that there is no spoon long enough to dine with the devil.
Lastly, please be safe and careful as we continue this struggle tomorrow. It is not about subsidy. It is about the sould of Nigeria. It is about cutting wastage in government. It is about making government responsible. It is about bringing every arm back to reality: we are a borrower nation! We cannot afford to pay huge salaries to our "elected officials" for "serving us". We are broke, everyone should pitch in, not the poor people only!
2 comments:
I asked my son who lives in Abuja if it would not be a good idea for GEJ to begin to redeem himself by first taking an unheard of pay-cut then slashing the budget of those hideous perks. I thought that move would irk the legislators because they would not want to be outplayed or outmanouvred by the Presidency so they would reluctantly offer a token drip of a pay-cut from their outrageous largesse.
My son said it would not work.
Both houses will come together and impeach Jonathan!
This is the story of Nigeria-Authority Stealing.
The Venezuelan Ambassador said his piece but it fell on deaf ears.
Bottom line is its up to the people, when we have had enough we will junk the rubbish.
Jonathan does not have the moral fibre to take any hard decision. He has never taken any in his life!
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