” A kii ri oku ebi ni titi”, Yorubas believe that no matter how hard things get, you still will not see an incident where people will die as a result of hunger.
Those who propounded such theories have been defeated, they have been proved wrong.
In Nigeria today, in just one year of president Bola Ahmed Tinubu, lives are being lost in droves as a result of acute hunger, poverty and fear.
If anyone were to predict that a time will come in Nigeria when even to feed on Garri, you will require at least four hundred Naira, the one who made such prophecy will be stoned to death.
Sadly, in Nigeria today, a cup of Garri, let me put it properly, a tin of milk worth of Garri costs two hundred Naira.
A module of Garri is currently sold for two thousand Naira and that is also depending on where you’re buying from.
I must also add that a cup of Garri will not feed an adult!
So, if you add the cost of Sugar and other stuffs with which Garri is taken with, for an adult to feed on Garri today, you will require at least six hundred Naira.
I must say that before now, Garri is considered a poor man’s menu but today, even the middle class will struggle to feed on Garri.
A module of Rice currently goes for about three thousand Naira, a module of beans goes for about three thousand five hundred Naira, a cup of dried chilly pepper sells for four hundred Naira and the list go on.
It is so terrible that a piece of rodo pepper sells for fifty Naira or what would you say when you bought three hundred Naira worth of rodo and you got six pieces?
For the first time in my life, I have seen where local food canteens now charge for stew separately.
Haba! What exactly is happening to us?
Who will tell the president that those who stood on his mandate are being plucked daily by death and diseases through hunger?
It was the popular Yoruba Fuji musician, Abass Akande Obesere who once sang that too much of hunger is a habinger of death.
” Opolopo ebi, apeere iku ni”. The guy is correct hundred percent.
The most unfortunate aspect of this scenario is the speed with which the president turned our lives upside down.
Sometimes, you begin to wonder if president Tinubu have been Nigeria’s president for twenty years.
Or how does one come to terms with the fact that about a year ago from today, a cup of Garri was selling for about fifty Naira, a module of Rice was selling for about a thousand Naira and beans for about seven hundred Naira?
How did we come to this very unfortunate situation?
I think I know how and why.
I think we are here because the president priorities politics far and above the well being of the people who elected him, pure and simple.
We are here because, instead of the president to see the people, he is focused on 2027.
To the president, 2027 carries a kind weight that is far and above the well being of Nigerians.
Apart from his anti people economic and monetary policies, coupled with multiple taxations, the president doesn’t spare any thoughts for Nigerians.
He has given all to politics. Politics of tomorrow.
Tomorrow! Who in the world even knows what It has in store?
If it is not the G-5, then it will be Wike and Rivers state, or, it could be PDP’s internal wranglings or perhaps, Kano.
When will the president have time to think about Nigeria beyond the palliatives he’s been sending through wrong chanels?
When will he stop thinking that once he increases the monthly Allocations, which, ordinarily is designed to woo the Governors, then, all is well?
The president can not do better until he dismantles the stronghold he has built around himself.
A stronghold of people whom he had alienated to his way of life, his line of thinking over the years.
If he keeps seeing Nigeria from the eyes of his Men Friday, he will, with due respect, be blind to the plight of Nigerians.
It is obvious that the president prefers to win over assumed ” strong men” to his side.
Unfortunately, in the face of hunger, even the strong men will be helpless and useless.
Maximus was a very powerful Roman General who, through harsh fate had to become a gladiator who entertained at the ludus.
One day, he asked his ” domina”, the one who bought him as a slave about how he could gain the attention of the Emperor.
His slave master told him in one sentence, ” win the crowd”.
Similarly, a Roman Emperor was once advised to win the Roman mob, because, the mob was Rome.
The mob was not only Rome. The mob is Nigeria.
However, instead of winning the mob, the president have dedicated himself to winning over some ” strong men”. People he thought could make things happen.
Mr. President sir, that is a fallacy.
Hunger is a great unifier of people.
” Ebi lo npa ni bakan naa, oro kii dun ni bakan naa”.
No matter who you are, wherever you come from, whatever your background, once you’re hungry, your belly will whistle.
Like I have said, there is no way president Tinubu will solve problems he doesn’t see.
All he sees are his men of years past.
Men he has built, enriched and alienated to his line of thinking.
Men who have been enriched beyond seeing traces of hardships within their immediate environments.
What does he expect this ones to be telling him beyond what they think he would love to hear?
These are men who are familiar with his weakness and weak moments.
They are the ones exploiting his weaknesses and turning him to a villain before Nigerians.
Incidentally, such men are difficult to do away with.
They are the ones Sherilyn Kenyon described on page 234 of her book: Son of No One as, “… how evil worked. Never from enemies you saw coming. Only those closest to you could destroy you. The ones you mistakenly trusted. The ones you allowed to mislead you because the pain of living without them was greater than the pain of tolerating the lie”.
How will the president now do away with them?
Eng. Oluwasina Adeyemi.
