There is so much anxiety in the polity that it was good, even if on paper , that the government has announced that the 2017 budget is aimed at shooting down recession. Government is not as deaf as  some people make it to seem. It also listens to the people. If the President was hard of hearing in the past, that situation has long changed with the surgery in London. Greater evidence manifested in the recent request by the All Progressive Congress[APC] to Nigerians to be patient with the government, saying the party knows about the hardship in the land. The bureau of statistics[NBS] reports that  4.58 million Nigerians have lost their jobs since President Muhammadu Buhari came into office.

The NBS disclosed that 2.6 million Nigerians became unemployed within the first and second quarter of 2016.It also revealed that 1.46 million Nigerians became unemployed in the third quarter of 2015, while another 518,102 became unemployed in the fourth quarter of 2015.The details were contained in the agency’s second quarter unemployment and underemployment report which was released on Wednesday, August 31, 2016.

The report reads:

“During the reference period, the number of unemployed in the labour force increased by 1,158,700 persons, resulting in an increase in the national unemployment rate to 13.3% in Q2 2016 from 12.1 in Q1 2016, 10.4% in Q4 2015 from 9.9% in Q3 2015 and from 8.2% in Q2 2015.”

“In view of this, there were a total of 26.06 million persons in the Nigerian labour force in Q2 2016, that were either unemployed or underemployed compared to compared to 24.5 million in Q1 2016 and 22.6 million in Q4 2015.”

“The number of underemployed in the labour force (those working but doing menial jobs not commensurate with their qualifications or those not engaged in full-time work and merely working for few hours) increased by 392,390 or 2.61%, resulting in an increase in the underemployment rate to 19.3 % (15.4million persons) in Q2 2016 from 19.1% (15,02 million persons) in Q1 2016, 18.7% (14.42 million persons) in Q4 2015, from 17.4% (13.2 million persons) in Q3 2015 and 18.3% (13.5 million persons) in Q2 2015.”

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Good as the report is, it merely begs the issue. There is hardship written in bold letters on the faces of Nigerians. No one yet knows why Muhammadu Buhari gets mantle of leadership at times like these.  He seems to have some affinity with austere living and times. Those old enough know that  32 years ago he came in similar circumstance, some subsidies were thrown out and people had to stay in queues for ‘essential commodities’ including milk, sugar, rice and others. It has been his lot to come in austere times. People worry that they do not really see results in the long run. But in his first coming, he hardly tarried long enough for the dividends to show.  He was at the helm for 20 months. Now he has a guaranteed four-year tenure.  The country has been assailed by all sorts of economic woes and he has put a team together to tackle the prevalent issues. All sectors are virtually on their knees. Loss of jobs, reduction of salary, arrears of unpaid salaries, low sales and a general poor out look.

It would be horrendous for any one to contemplate an economy on a continued slide and a life worse than Nigerians have come to see. That the party in power still wins elections in parts of the country in the face of stifling conditions of living is an indication that there is a way to elections in our clime. Parties in power know how to remain there. That is story for another day.

This regime has chalked up some level of success going by reports of recovered loots and blocked loopholes. The youthful minister of Finance, Mrs Kemi Adeosun says the Federal government saved no less than N143b in its fight against ghost workers. It was the handiwork of the Efficiency unit of the Finance ministry.  There maybe other positives by the regime but they have not been positive to the people.

In 2017, pleas for time by this regime may fall on deaf ears. It would have been two years it took the mantle. Thankfully the regime says the 2017 budget is aimed at stemming the economic recession now assailing the nation.  2017 has to be good and this is not wishful thinking. What would happen if more people continue to to be sent out of their jobs? what would happen if more people continue to engage in mental agony to know where the next meal would come from? What would happen to homes where parents are unable to pay children’s school fees? The questions are endless, which is why this recession must end. The burden of governance is to take better care of the people. This regime appealed for time. I think it has got that time and must no longer latch on that hackneyed excuse. 2017 must not proceed in the faltered steps of the past year.

Thank You

Here is to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who visited or supported me when my father was laid to rest on December 9, 2016. I am grateful. God bless you.