Totally Unsure of SURE

By

Maikudi Abubakar Zukogi

mandzukogisawaba@yahoo.com

The Webster’s Universal Dictionary and Thesaurus (2007) provides denotative meanings of the word sure to mean certain; without doubt; reliable, inevitable; secure; safe and dependable. All of these words approximates to the meaning of the word sure and can be used to describe the sense which is implied by the word. Therefore, to be sure is to be certain; to have no doubt; to feel safe and to be dependable on someone or something which is reliable.

Unfortunately in Nigeria today, the word sure can only mean the opposite where government is involved. To be honest, we did not get to this sorry state today; so this piece is conscious of the fact that the journey to this sorry state began a long time ago, long before the change of baton from the military to the civilian government in 1999. What is indisputable is the fact that the journey or descent to this state of uncertainty, doubt and unreliability begins with the first regime which ushered him the return to nascent democracy. It is important to emphasize the word nascent because it is one word that has been used repeatedly to sell dummy to Nigerians about our democracy being new and why words and monies do not match action. This state of uncertainty and unreliability begins to manifest with the coming of democracy especially because unlike the military, democracy confers on citizens the right to ask questions. Gradually, as each day passes our nascent democracy descent into this sorry and unfortunate state. Unfortunately, also, this new administration of President Goodluck Jonathan promised so many things but most of all it promised what it elegantly called a breath of fresh air. Therefore, in between these thirteen years of experiment with democracy, Nigerians keep watch and track of what our leaders say and do and then compare and contrast the impact and value addition that these have on their lives. The truth is that while our leaders thought they get away with ease, the people whose lives are affected by their misadventure keep records and are further enlightened by many such misadventures. In Nigeria, it is so easy for a leader to transit from being a Chairman of a Local government to become a member of House of Representatives or a Senator or Governor of a state without properly accounting for his preceding service and stewardship. In fact, some of these political office holders don’t even hand over because in truth, they have nothing to hand over. Yet they are able to move freely to the next level without let or hindrance. And in the midst of this bazaar, they see Nigerians as too gullible to take note of the goings on in one of the most expensive (mark you, not largest) democracies in the world.

The circumstances and the history of the emergence of President Goodluck Jonathan is a very interesting one. We all thought that the good luck in his name was prophetic, hence his easy and smooth rise to political stardom in a country where not the least chance is given to the minorities to mount the saddle of power at the time he did. At best, if any group was going to become the President of Nigeria after the late Umaru Yar’adua that chance is tilted more to the Igbo. In spite of the high wire intrigues, including the zoning debacle, it was refreshing that Jonathan emerged the substantive president after the hotly contested election. Whether or not he won convincingly is now history as the courts have confirmed his election. It is therefore gullible of President Jonathan and his legion of advisers to think that Nigerians will forget that he promised them a breath of fresh air. Beyond the behind the scene bargains and compromises, he sold himself to Nigerians on the grounds that he is new and one of them, and thus better placed to articulate and execute programmes that will impact positively on their lives. And by a breath of fresh air, we conceive this to mean a change in the way government is run; a government that is sensitive to the feelings and sensibilities of Nigerians; a government that respects the people, carries them along by honouring its pact with them. Unfortunately this was not to be; his government daily takes action which gives the people great cause for concern. His inability to demonstrate the difference which he promised was first noticed in the size and composition of his cabinet which was composed largely of recycled men and women. He could not honour his words with the Labour on the implementation of the national minimum until it twice called for a strike; same with ASUU; in fact ASUU is currently on strike on account of his government’s refusal to fully implement its agreement with the union. In the midst of all this, the government is faced with explosive security challenges the bulk of which is debatably ascribed to Boko Haram. Yet these challenges are not alarming enough to a President who pride himself as coming from poor parentage as many Nigerians. The task that needs urgent attention is how to ensure that the country’s economy did not collapse and the only way to do this is to remove the fuel subsidy. IMF/World Bank inspired policies always do not have alternatives. We plied this route before with SAP; sold all government companies and businesses, and killed local manufacturing especially and regretfully the textile industries and yet our economy is still in the woods. In simple economics, our economy is going to collapse because it is broke. Government is finding it difficult to say this because Nigerians will ask how and why. Where is our foreign reserve? Where is our excess crude account? If these colossal sums are exhausted, why is it not translating in relative terms to the improvement of the life of ordinary Nigerians? Why, for instance, can’t government block the leakages; shed its excess baggage, and even begin to hunt those individuals who milked the country dry some of whom are still in government or are VIPs within government circles and recover stolen government funds?

In spite of these and many more alternatives, it is fuel subsidy removal that is the talisman that will revamp our economy. Therefore, from N65 to a whopping N145, Nigerians will have to pay through their nose to survive to keep their economy. To cushion the effect of this callous policy, government hastily packaged SURE. But the package is hasty, laughable and too artificial. Every member of the government who speaks about it seems to be struggling to explain what it means, including the president. The outrage on the streets since this unpopular and punitive decision was taken should send clear signals that people pushed to the wall can react in unprecedented ways. And not only that the people are totally unsure of SURE, they are also unsure of this government to steer the ship of state to safe destination.