Renewed Hope Agenda at a time of scepticism

BY MOHAMMED BASHIR AHMED

Renewed Hope Agenda: The newsfeeds are inundated with recent disasters our nation is going through from insecurity in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, ritualists, child abductors and traders, marauding hordes of Fulani herdsmen, nationalist Igbo separatists and one chance operators. On the economic front matters are not any better as the national currency continues to experience unprecedented massive devaluation as it slumped further in a daily basis.

This has led to serious inflation and a cost of living crisis that has impoverished a large segment of the citizenry. There seems to be no silver lining in sight as the deregulation of the petroleum sector has added to the inflation being experienced in the prices of basic foodstuff and essential commodities. Nigerians are losing hope which, by the way, would have been a misnomer in another age knowing the grit and resilience of the average Nigerian during tough times.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in fairness to him, inherited a nation on the brink of bankruptcy with all the security challenges mentioned above. His renewed Hope Agenda needs to deliver the goods to the people. Obviously rebuilding an economy and securing the nation cannot be achieved by waving a magic wand. The conundrum the government finds itself in is whether Nigerians will continue to endure the sacrifices needed for the reforms being implemented to bear the fruits of a bright future.

The average citizens seem not to be convinced that their representatives in the legislative houses and the appointees of the President in the executive arm are committed to sacrificing the perks of their offices while they work diligently in the national interest. The average Nigerian going by comments on social media especially, believes that the political leaders are insensitive to their collective plight and prone to self enrichment. The task for the Presidency and the legislators is to win the confidence and trust of Nigerians. Perhaps the optics must change for the perception to change. Fortunately, the President has taken the lead by instructing that certain cost cutting measures be implemented with regard to entourages and travel costs amongst other spending cuts.

The recent corruption scandals that are the stuff of memes and unsavoury comments do not help matters for the government. As earlier mentioned the optics and perceptions of the populace must be changed by the President wielding the big stick and sanctioning erring officials including booting them out of the cabinet. Only then will Nigerians be convinced that there is a commitment to good governance and the pursuit of national development goals that will uplift millions of citizens out of poverty as enumerated in President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

It may be early days for a realistic assessment of the current government’s policies; but on the economic and security front things seem very dire. Only the reversal of our economic fortunes to prosperity and the full eradication of terrorism and other criminality leading to a safe nation will count as progress in the right direction. The President and entire government face a daunting task that needs the cooperation and support of all Nigerians. This has to be the way forward. All hands must be on deck for the peace, progress and prosperity of Nigeria.