By Collins Chukwuma
It’s in the weary eyes of the market woman, who now counts her few tomatoes like precious jewels. It’s in the silent frustration of the graduate, whose hard-earned certificate feels like a mere piece of paper in a country with no jobs. It’s in the knot of anxiety in the stomach of parents, wondering if they can afford another term of school fees. Nigeria, the vibrant giant of Africa, is not just facing policy challenges; it is experiencing a collective ache, a gradual dimming of hope that is palpable in every home, on every street.
The decoration of our nation by bad government policies is not an abstract political phrase; it is the daily reality for millions. This decoration is made of:
- The Strangling Grip of Economic Hardship: The removal of the fuel subsidy, though argued as necessary, was a seismic shock delivered without a cushion. The price of petrol has tripled, and with it, the cost of everything else—food, transport, medicine.
- The Naira’s freefall against the dollar feels like a national humiliation, wiping out savings and making business a nightmare. Inflation is no longer a statistic; it’s a predator eating away at the very fabric of family life.
- The Scourge of Insecurity: The sense of safety, a fundamental right, has become a luxury. Farmers cannot access their farms for fear of bandits, contributing to the food crisis. Traveling on highways is a game of chance. The cries of families of kidnapped victims have become a too-familiar soundtrack of national grief. The social contract—that government will protect its citizens—feels broken.
- The Crippling Power Crisis: How can a nation dream in darkness? The persistent failure to fix the power sector is perhaps the greatest bottleneck to our potential. Small businesses spend fortunes on fuel for generators, students struggle to read at night, and the dream of industrialisation remains just that—a dream. It is a problem that stifles innovation and punishes productivity.
A Pathway to Healing: Beyond Rhetoric to Action
The solutions are not magic; they require political will, competence, and a government that listens. We need:
· A Competent Economic Emergency Response: We must move beyond palliatives to sustainable strategies. This means aggressively supporting local agriculture to crash food prices, reforming the foreign exchange market to restore confidence in the Naira, and providing targeted, low-interest loans to small and medium-sized enterprises—the true engine of our economy.
· A Unified Security Overhaul: Security is not just about weapons; it’s about intelligence, coordination, and winning the hearts and minds of communities. We need a centralized, technology-driven security command that fosters collaboration between agencies and local vigilantes, addressing the roots of banditry and insurgency through job creation and dialogue where possible.
· A Pragmatic Power Solution: The goal should be immediate incremental gains, not just distant mega-projects. This involves breaking the monopoly, enabling states and private investors to build and manage independent power grids, and investing in renewable energy sources tailored to different regions.
Why Atiku Abubakar Presents a Viable Alternative
In times of crisis, experience is not a thing to be discarded; it is a vital tool. This is where the candidate of the main opposition party, Atiku Abubakar, argues his case. Beyond the political rallies, his promise is rooted in a specific track record that speaks directly to our current pains.
First, look at his tenure as Vice President under Olusegun Obasanjo (1999-2007). That era was defined by a period of significant economic reform. They oversaw the notorious Paris Club debt cancellation, which freed up billions of dollars for national development.
They pioneered the privatization of key sectors, like telecommunications, which, despite its flaws, unlocked the mobile revolution that transformed Nigeria. The argument is that Atiku understands the mechanics of liberalizing an economy to attract investment and spur growth—a skill desperately needed today.
Second, Atiku is a businessman who has created jobs himself. His supporters argue that he understands, from a practical standpoint, what it takes for a business to survive and thrive.
This perspective is crucial for a leader who must foster an enabling environment, not stifle it. His advocacy for restructuring the federation to grant states more autonomy and resources is seen by many as the long-term cure to our centralized inefficiency and regional agitations.
Most importantly, Atiku presents himself as a bridge-builder. His choice of a running mate from the South-East in the last election was a symbolic, yet powerful, gesture towards national inclusion. In a nation fraying at the edges of ethnic and religious tension, a leader who consciously seeks to unite is not a minor detail.
The question for every Nigerian is this: Are we willing to trust a familiar hand that promises a return to a framework of economic pragmatism and deliberate inclusion? The current path has caused immense pain. The alternative, as presented by Atiku Abubakar, is a promise to apply the lessons of the past to heal the wounds of the present.
The future of Nigeria is not written in stone. It will be written by the choices we make. It will be determined by whether we choose to continue on a path that decorates our nation with despair, or we dare to choose a different path—one paved with competence, experience, and a genuine desire to put the Nigerian people first again. The time to decide is now.
Collins Chukwuma, is the
National Coordinator of The Collective Movement (TCM), Socio-political group.
