By Olajide Hamzat
It is difficult to imagine the life of an average Nigerian amid this economic crunch. Apart from buying fuel at an outrageous price, he struggles under the scorching sun or chilling weather to fill his tank and move on with life – depressingly and helplessly.
How on earth do you explain the hardship of buying fuel in a country with the eight largest oil reserves in the World? Bluntly, this perennial and persistent eyesore is enough to force compassionate leaders to act in the utmost interest of the people.
Think of that poor bike man who wants to fill his tank to feed himself and his family, the implication of any increase in the price of fuel means an astronomical increment in the transport fare and a decrease in the number of passengers! The story is the same for those Micra drivers, keke riders, and private car owners who only need to easily move from one destination to another. Sadly, many car owners have dropped their automobiles as a result of instability and fluctuation in the oil and gas sector. Today, you buy the premium motor spirit or diesel at a certain price only to wake up the next day to buy it at another unimaginable and unbelievable price!
The effect of this constant skyrocket fuel price increment is not only felt by the drivers and the riders but trickles down to the commuters and passengers who have groaned relentlessly and endlessly under the yoke of hardship and economic turbulence. It is no longer a secret that the twin causes of the current economic hardship are caused primarily by the ill-thought removal of fuel subsidy last year and the unification of the exchange rate. While those two policies quickly disrupted the economic stability of the country, the effect in the lives of millions of average Nigerians have not been properly tallied.
A careful study of the cost-of-living crisis revealed a more dire situation. Take food. The prices of foodstuffs in the land have never been record high as they currently are.
And government efforts especially at the center haven’t stemmed the tide a bit. Palliatives upon palliatives have been rolled out to cushion the effects to no avail.
Billions upon billions have also been sent to sub-national governments with little or no results. The government has now turned into the business of rice selling. It is shameful, to say the least.
Where it matters most, the government at the center has only disappointed millions of Nigerians. Most policy thrusts have only undermined and frustrated many businesses out of the country.
The reports of companies exiting the nation in droves have made headlines, leading to scores of other challenges such as unemployment among others.
But all is not doom and gloom. Great leaders are known by where they stand in difficult moments. Take Amofin Beulah Adeoye. He is not only confident and calm particularly when it comes to solving humanity’s biggest challenges, he has the resume to back up his leadership claims and credentials.
When a nation is as troubled, only a clear-headed leader can come to the rescue. And that’s where Amofin Beulah Adeoye comes into play.
As a leader of note and thought, Amofin Beulah Adeoye has more than impressive credentials to tackle any problem head-on. He is endowed with the clarity of mind to think creatively, innovatively, and adaptively to challenges standing in the way of people’s existence and success.
Olajide Hamzat writes about issues that affect Oyo state while projecting Amofin Beulah Adeoye as a solution provider, problem solver and creative, adaptive and innovative leader with compassion and empathy.