Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Alfred Achebe, took time out of the dazzling ceremonies marking this year’s Ofala festival to pass this message to President Bola Tinubu – Nigerians are hungry, Nigerians are dying, do something before things become uncontrollable.
The monarch, the most revered royal stool in Igboland, himself a renowned technocrat before retiring to his current position, specifically referred to the escalating insecurity and parlous economic state of the country since Tinubu came into office on May 29, 2023.
Warning that the country’s worsening state requires urgent action to avoid a national catastrophe, he noted that the last 12 months has been marked by increased uncertainty, exacerbated by insecurity and the rising cost of living, particularly after the removal of the fuel subsidy.
Citing the August 2024 national protest – #Endbadgovernance – as pointers to the widespread dissatisfaction with governance and economic policies, the monarch, told the President: “The wellbeing of the polity has declined even more steeply in the last 12 months, leading to a 10-day national protest.
Bemoaning the preponderance of business closures, job losses, and a general feeling of hopelessness that has become the case in the country, the Onitsha monarch regretted that despite Tinubu’s assurances about his policies, the situation has continued to worsen, as petrol prices continue to rise, alongside depreciating state of the Naira, Nigeria’s local currency.
The monarch, who also expressed shock that citizens protesting the ugly situation in the country are not only clamped harangued, but being prosecuted for treason, called on the President to consider alternative viewpoints and convene a non-partisan national economic and security summit to address the myriad of challenges buffeting the country and its citizens.
Achebe, who stressed that several individuals and organisations have urged the government to address fundamental issues such as governance reform, corruption, and the high cost of living, particularly as it relates to fuel prices and agricultural challenges, urged decisive action to reverse the decline, emphasising the need to tackle both the economic and security crises facing the nation.