Sincerity of Purpose

It has been a while since I have posted not for lack of will or motivation but due to procrastination and malaise however there comes a tipping point for everything and this week has been a real eye opener.

The protests against the fuel subsidy have taken on a life of their own and they have expanded rightly beyond subsidy as this is just a small part in the wider scheme of things. The real issue is one of endemic corruption. Corruption and Nigeria seem bedmates destined to remain joint at the hips for ever unless forcefully separated. Well it has been enlightening to see that there is no end to the number of street surgeons who are willing to wield the scalpel. From the area boys to the big boys and girls there is a united voice now calling for the same thing. An end to corruption and bloated governance.

When one thinks about it it is actually amazing that our so called leaders did not see this coming. On the very first day of the new year they dropped a bombshell that fuel subsidy is to be removed and by the way wish us well for the rest of the year! So in one fell swoop the cost of most items doubles if not trebles as most "industry" is driven by petrol generators. And then to top it off you announce a budget wherein you have allocated N1bn for feeding in the Presidency? N1bn for one year? That is almost N7 for every man, woman and child in this country of 160m people!! On top of this there are several recurring items which are repeated from last years budget.It almost seems like a cut and paste job. As if the same template was used and the numbers were just erased and adjusted. Mostly upward. Then also compare a budget of N260bn for Education as against almost a N1tr for Security? Would we rather be secure and illiterate or educated and safe?

Which leads me to the point of this post. Can the President and the Presidency really say that they have sincerity of purpose? The bottom line is that the people do not believe this to be the case. Despite all the government propaganda the bottom line is that the only people expected to make sacrifices are the people outside of Government. Where was the consultation, due process and planning before this rash decision was made. And by the way I support the removal of the subsidy (a N1.3trn Naira slush fund accessed by the friend and cohorts of the high and mighty) but the way it has been handled is just diabolical.

I am sure our lady from the World Bank should know better that you cannot launch a policy like this without due process and transparency nor having a detailed impact assessment looking at both sides of the coin. Would she have gotten away with this level of shoddy professionalism at the World Bank? I doubt it. Did she assume that the people would not know enough, or care enough, or be educated enough to understand the implications? Well I think that is obvious now. If it really is a case of saving money for infrastructure budgets then cut the costs of Government by 50%, force states to generate revenue internally(otherwise dissolve them) and you will find your funds for all your infrastructure budgets year on year.

On the part of the protesters is there also sincerity of purpose without which the groups will soon start to fragment? There are several groups all waving their banners with different figureheads. This lends itself to a divide and conquer strategy which the government might adopt in order to quell the protest. It is therefore highly imperative for the various groups to consolidate and agree a fixed set of objectives and targets. Select five key points under which all the other items will be captured otherwise the message gets diluted. Ensure that the protests are nit hijacked for means other than that for which they were originally planned. Most importantly they must have sincerity of purpose, a firm belief in the fight and an understanding that it is when things get tough that the tough really get going. Their resolve will be truly tested in the coming days and weeks but with sincerity of purpose it cannot be broken.