By Isah Aliyu Chiroma
“There are times in a nation’s history when it’s abused past springs up like a monster and clings to its negligent dream like an inscrutable leech”.
_Niyi Osundare
Let us talk this week, about world leaders, converging in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to address global challenges. Our representation on this flora, has not only given us a platform to sell ourselves, but it gives confidence to investors, who we can help address our challenges, through partnership and collaboration.
President Bola Tinubu said, collaboration and inclusiveness are invaluable to achieving global food security, addressing collective challenges, and driving innovation across a chain of interests for a more stable and prosperous world. This is an open discussion to world leaders, to combat challenges affecting them, and common enemies of development.
As world leaders need cooperation, with the growing population and diverse resources, it can create an opportunity for economic growth. This will help in addressing our challenges collectively, where we can partnership to achieve this aim.
On the other hand back home, we wake us to a long queues stretching, from the filling stations. The panic of new price, the reaction to headlines, leaving us to bear the consequences. It is disturbing, where mobility becomes a nightmare.
The NNPC addressed that the current scarcity of PMS, was as a result of logistics issues, which it has been resolved. Then, this will bring us to the big question, why are the queues still stretching, when at the black market keeps soaring, from 1000 in Abuja to 2000 in sokoto per liter.
Whatever may be the answer to those questions, the fact remains that the people now pose a reality to be confronted; a national crisis to be solved the nation’s way. There is no sign at the moment of this been resolved, we need the right prescriptions. Some prescriptions that will work for us, addressing our issues.
We must have been wondering, about this sudden situation, which is fostering the hard times we found ourselves. Curbing those challenges, facing us as a nation, is a decision we need. Nothing strengthens the fear of the present than what the citizens are going through.
What all this boils down is that more and more Nigerians are becoming hungry. Next time you found yourself in any queue, look around very well at the faces you see. You will notice a long face, prematurely wrinkled cheeks and big hollow eyes. This explains the current situation, our face tells it all.
And about the same time, the hardships are unbearable. But then, not everyone had been patient enough to withstand the outcome of the circumstances.
To address our economic challenges, we need to a lasting solution to our own problems, which will foster economic growth, and foster development. This will create the economy we want, and the kind of country we wish to see. On this path, we need to remain firm, resilient and focus as we live to see our dream country.
Addressing the subsidy removal at the global stage, the president said, it was a necessary action for the country and to reset the economy and the pathway to growth. It was a difficult decision, but the hallmark of leadership is making difficult decisions when they need to be made.