My new found friend Joseph has got dreams. Yes, realistic ones just like everyone else. However, his hopes are gradually fading away. He sees his country as a lost cause. His tale was all too similar to what I’ve heard a bit too often these days. As a Nigerian, he feels the two things he benefits from the government was the ostensibly “fuel subsidy” before its removal and the air he breaths albeit full of emissions.
I accompanied a friend to a major electronics distributor outlet earlier today to feed my eyes on the new arrivals. I was thrilled by their offerings and more importantly the captivating prices, I decided to get a product myself. The problem was then, the transportation of my newly acquired asset from the point of sale to my humble abode.
That’s where I experienced another slap of the impact of fuel subsidy removal. It’s bad enough a major electronics outlet hasn’t put in place a comprehensive delivery system for customers who have purchased products. Few years ago, I would have found it beyond belief but that would be unfair on some foreigners who have come to invest heavily in my country where they are their own NEPA (Electricity supplier) and water supplier. They also employ my fellow compatriots in the process slash the millions of other youths still unemployed out there. A sales staff eventually introduced me to someone just outside the store who could help with the transportation.
Joseph answered “oga, na sis tausan, fife hundred!” (boss, it’ll cost you 6 thousand, 5 hundred naira). “say wetin! From Allen to Ojota? You be Ali baba I tink? Abeg talk beta jare” (what? That short distance? You’re joking right?). He blamed the removal of subsidy for charging me that high, but I told him not to worry, that I have my own car and I just bought N4,000 worth of petrol in NNPC at the rate of N138 per litre which hardly had any impact on my fuel gauge; my firsthand slap from the new year’s gift from Uncle Jonah. I told Joseph that unless his car was a stretch bugatti, he would certainly not need that sum of money he requested earlier. Besides, he must be a dreaming Joseph to think I'll part with that kind of money.
As Joseph drove me through Allen and Opebi in his rickety car, he told me the tale of his “hard knock” life so far. His parent s couldn’t afford to further his education, so he dropped out of school to source for income and a better livelihood. So Joseph left his village to Lagos
Over the years, he had taken up menial jobs, learned and acquired skills in diverse disciplines to make ends meet. From being recruited as a bus conductor, to being a cab driver and then an electrician, Joseph has been around many places and seen many faces. He was an employee at the major electronics outlet I just bought my newly acquired asset, but quit a couple of years ago because his meager salary couldn’t meet up with his needs. He still had to send some money back home, pay his monthly” face me I face you” one room apartment rent amongst other things. Presently, he is joggling two jobs as a transporter of electronics and also an engineer who installs the aforesaid.
As we continued chatting, he agreed that our economy was the ailing one which required quick attention and long lasting solution. He opined that to achieve this, it required a collective effort from all Nigerians, including Muslim, Christian, pagan, atheist, rich, poor, civilian, military, married, single, public officers, private individuals. But that isn’t the case. He wondered why Uncle Jonah played the entire Nigerian people “wayo” by removing oil subsidy on the 1st of January instead of the proposed 1st of April. I tried to make excuse for uncle jonah that 1st of April is commonly referred to as “fools day” so his government decided not to insult over 160 million us, thus opted for an earlier date.
He wasn’t buying my sophistry to say the least. He told me we all have to make sacrifices by the grim pictures public officers have been painting on TV recently in the name of “or-yell-sub-see-dee” removal. This he insisted, include for example, eliminating the scam in the form of the monthly security votes accruing to state governors between N200m to N300m (comrade Oshimiole failed to mention this at the town hall meeting), a substantial cut in the salaries and allowances of public officers such as Legislators take home at $2m, a rethink of the cost of feeding uncle Jonah, aunty patience and brother Sambo’s household close to a staggering N1 billion and the total cost of governance in general. Then, and only then, did Joseph think this government should talk about removing fuel subsidy.
I was set aback! Joseph isn’t educated to the tertiary level, but he sounds smarter and more credible than some PHD holders wearing black hats or the ones I’ve been seeing lately on TV trying to sell nursery rhyme texts to adults! The current system must have impoverished Joseph to the point where his thinking faculty has sprung into action. All he wanted was to relocate to the city, learn his trade in electrical engineering, and one day manage a large store providing electrical solutions to individuals, Companies and government establishments.
The future is not looking bright for my brother Joseph and indeed other Nigerians in their millions. Joseph’s dream in the bible always came into fruition, but under this insensitive government of uncle Jonah, Joseph my brother not in the bible but here in Nigeria, will watch his dream disappear into thin air. If the status quo remains the same where corruption and “lootocracy” is deeply entrenched in the system, so many dreams will be turned to mirages and hopes dashed. Joseph knows that the consumption of cassava bread will not amount to close to a billion naira, and he also knows that his future will be torn into shreds if austerity measures are not adopted across all levels of government.
But here is a chance to reclaim your country back from a grossly irresponsible and insensitive bunch. Engage yourselves in the peaceful protest presently going on nationwide. We all have a role to play particularly the youths. Let us discontinue from the frivolous activities we usually engage in, like making famous people’s business our own business, reading society related magazines uninterrupted for hours, making a joke of oil subsidy in the social media or begging don jazzy for a retweet and join in to #OCCUPYNIGERIA.
Remember all we ask for is a competent government willing to tackle our biggest problem in corruption head on regardless of who the cabal are, and take the appropraite austerity measures this economy requires. We pray our government will listen to the yearnings of its people, and avoid a looming anarchy sparked by a revolution. Our fight will not be in vain.
GOD bless.
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