When Nigerian politicians don’t know when to stop!

Several incidences in Nigeria have either tested the tenacity of the collective citizenry or the fragility of the cord that binds us as a people. Nigerians are liberal, patient and accommodating of their leaders, willing to support and give each one a chance to improve their lives. So, cycle after cycle, elections come with new hope and expectations. In that expectation lay their hope of a better future, a future they have placed in the hands of politicians they elected to represent their interests. Have these politicians indeed impacted the people?

According to Wikipedia, a politician is a person who has political power in the government of a state or a person active in party politics or a person holding or seeking an elective office in government. This definition is made much simpler by the great philosopher Socrates. He claims that the goal of politics is to make the citizens as good as possible so that they live the best lives. And by making the citizens “good”, he means that the politicians should instill virtuous characteristics, such as self-control, bravery, righteousness and justice in their citizens.

Politicians are persons having the power to legislate and who represent the people; politicians will carry out their responsibility of oversight to ensure that public administration and conduct are impartial and neutral. To this end, Cicero, another great philosopher, proposed that the ideal government “is formed by an equal balancing and blending” of monarchy, democracy, and aristocracy. In this “mixed state,” he argued that royalty, the best men, and the ordinary should have a role.

Without being a political commentator, recent occurrences have revealed that financial analysis will be incomplete without political analysis as the political class dramatically influences the economic policies and direction of the economy. This relationship was rife when the political class exercised the weight and influence of their powers by altering a central financial policy that the majority (mostly the ordinary citizens) had considered the most impactful policy of the Mohammadu Buhari government. That is the policy on naira redesign.

The naira redesign policy, announced in October 2022, over three months, gathered momentum and got to a crescendo that looked as if it was going to tear the fabric of the nation apart. The concluding days witnessed blackmail, harassment, threats, suasions and compromise among the political class. One of the compromises was to extend the deadline for the existence of the old currency by ten days after the initial deadline as the National Assembly (NASS), through the lower house, threatened to arrest the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for failing to appear before it; while through the upper house, passed a resolution to extend it to June 31st. The decision to approve the extension was taken on a Sunday at the president’s private home in Daura, Katsina State, to underscore its importance. It looked like a national emergency, like a war situation, to warrant government apparatus in full gear at that time of the week.

The question on the lips of most Nigerians is why President Muhammadu Buhari could not soak the pressure. Why would he give in to such pressure? Something that he knows has great potential to benefit the polity. Most Nigerians have expressed disappointment at that decision and have questioned the role of the political class in the past on more severe issues.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were on strike for eight months in 2022. Despite several engagements, the government could not reach a truce with ASUU until the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, intervened. Many queried why it took eight months, albeit only a temporary respite that still sees both ASUU and the students standing on the precipice. ASUU strike has resulted in an estimated N1.2 trillion loss to Nigeria as of 2020.

The issue of budget allocation has witnessed considerable debate and discussion both in an informal circle and in the media. There are claims that the budgetary allocation to NASS is too bogus, making the cost of governance too expensive. Often, there have been mentions of NASS cutting down on their budget to create room for other vital sectors like health and education. For instance, in the 2023 national budget, education (tertiary), health (basic health care provision fund), and NASS budget are N470 billion, N47.7 billion and N228 billion, respectively. A situation many have criticised. Popular opinion desires a condition that promotes equality, fairness, and understanding.

For some months, there have been crises in the petroleum sector. Amidst scarcity, petrol has gone as high as N600 per litre in certain parts of Nigeria. Citizens continue to bear this pain amidst the increasing cost of living. The weight of these present realities has given way to depression, mental health and, in some cases, suicide. Many believe that the NASS should have declared an emergency in this area as this hits home harder on the ordinary citizens.

The issue of insecurity has become perennial, and many have come to live with the understanding that it is a way of life. Agriculture is worse hit to the extent that the United Nations has warned that 25 million Nigerians risk severe hunger this year, 2023. Insecurity promotes hunger. Hunger breeds desperation, and desperation breeds chaos. Many would want to see the NASS rise to this occasion and address it headlong with all the powers at their disposal.

The issue of voter registration and collection of PVC is also of concern. The majority struggled and got frustrated because the process of registration and collection was far from global best practice. Many would wish to see a NASS whose oversight would bring value in designing strategies with the interest of Nigerians at heart.

The NASS comprises 469 members, with 109 Senators and 360 House of Representative members. The majority feel that Nigeria will be a better place if they approach issues that genuinely concern the ordinary person with the same zest they used to influence the naira redesign policy. Many conclude that at the point of addressing the naira redesign policy deadline, our politicians looked desperate and could not conceal the real intentions of their actions despite the claim of protecting the interest of the ordinary citizen.

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