The sacking of some ministers and the retention of others in the federal cabinet highlights that the long-expected reshuffle was shambolic in its intention.
By Abdu Labaran
Many performing members were dropped, while numerous underperforming and controversy-trailed members were retained. If these individuals were truly working for the people, rather than for themselves, they would have resigned when accusations started pointing at them. Concerned Nigerians see nothing extraordinary in the exercise but a self-serving maneuver by the head of the country. Indeed, for the exercise to be holistic in the eyes of many compatriots, it should have included those who, in selfless societies, would have left the cabinet long ago.
The failure to remove unproductive individuals from the cabinet seems designed to reward anything but merit. It was a triumph of darkness over light, lies over truth, opaqueness over clarity, and fakeness over reality. It was indeed a triumph of everything detrimental over everything good for Nigeria.
Some of the dropped aides’ only fault was their insistence that things should be done according to the constitution and the rule of law, not according to the whims of the President or a close minority around him, which, according to some public affairs commentators, is seen as a mistake by the President.
According to those familiar with the President’s tendencies, he does not tolerate challenges to his authority, no matter how valid the argument. He would rather surround himself with “yes-men” than individuals who would challenge his authority, they further pointed out.
Many of the new members of the cabinet are President Tinubu’s cronies who will serve only him or his close circle, not Nigeria. Others were appointed not for the positive contributions they could bring to the nation but because of the past glory of others. Serving compatriots seems to be the last priority for a President who has adopted the slogan ‘EMILOKAN’ as his battle cry. Revenge may be a motive, as suggested by certain deliberate actions and inactions.
It perhaps explains why he has appointed more individuals from his tribe to positions than any of his predecessors. Name any position where substantial income can be made, and it’s occupied by individuals from the President’s ethnic group. The same goes for security outfits, except for the offices of the National Security Adviser (NSA) and the head of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA)—two roles deemed insignificant to the President’s personal security, as he controls the federal purse.
One may ask, “revenge for what?” as he appears to be unleashing his fury on the Northern part of the country, much of which has been without power for over ten days. His cabinet lacks representation from ethnic groups who could hold independent views. Those appointed readily agree with the President, regardless of whether he is right or wrong.
Meanwhile, hardship continues to increase for poor Nigerians, who multiply daily as the middle class disappears due to the countless harsh economic policies of the Tinubu administration. Adding to the people’s suffering, the federal government plans to introduce further economic policies that will compound citizens’ struggles. Starting next month, a new, higher cost for driving licenses and vehicle registration will take effect. Additionally, the newly introduced mandatory Tax Identification Number (TIN) registration will commence before 2024 ends.
These policies are prescribed by the World Bank, also known as the International Monetary Fund (IMF), including the Naira’s devaluation, a policy first implemented during General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida’s military regime under the Structural Adjustment Program (SAP). Despite Nigerians’ rejection of SAP through a government referendum, the Naira has been in decline since. At that time, one Naira was equivalent to 1.9 US dollars.
Under President Tinubu, the official exchange rate has skyrocketed to N1,690 to 1 US dollar, from N465 to 1. This free fall of the Naira results from the administration’s strict adherence to IMF’s recommendations.
This explains why nearly all major media outlets, aside from those owned by the President and one of his ministers, have highlighted the poor state of affairs under Tinubu’s government. Many have published critical articles, news stories spotlighting poverty and hardship, or editorials addressing the severe difficulties brought by this administration—a level of suffering that surpasses previous administrations.
No time in Nigeria’s social media history has seen such widespread focus on one topic as it does now. The instantaneous nature of social media is flooded with stories, articles, images, videos, and cartoons discussing only one thing: the prevailing poverty and hardship across the country, which government officials seem unaffected by. For them, it’s business as usual.
Where do the President, the First Lady, the First Children, and the Vice President get the millions they donate within the country if Nigeria allegedly lacks funds to waste? According to a national daily, the President recently replaced the four tires of one of his official vehicles for $200,000, or N300 million—each tire costing $50,000 or N175 million. Meanwhile, the elite and their foreign collaborators never seem to lack anything.
Meanwhile, Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS) have held a long-anticipated meeting and announced a new currency to challenge the dominance of the US dollar. Many countries outside BRICS, frustrated by the dollar’s global monopoly, have now joined, but Nigeria remains absent, likely due to its leadership’s deference to the World Bank.
Northern elites, who advocate for Nigeria’s unity, seem less interested in developing the region than in preserving their investments in the south. Ordinary northerners, however, have little to lose, aside from the bad name, indignity, and poor leadership that keep them in poverty and misery in a region rich in resources. Northern leaders and their local and foreign collaborators hoard wealth while the common northerner lives in deprivation.
It’s crucial for patriotic Nigerians to question the “clean sweeps” claimed by governors in state-conducted local government elections. Such results imply that each ruling party is wildly popular and beloved by the people—a claim many would dispute.
May God save us and rid this country of individuals who think only of themselves, not the nation’s development.
Labaran wrote from Katsina.
