By Adim Chimezie Williams

Today, across the country, Nigerians are groaning under severe hardship caused by the reckless and insensitive announcement of subsidy removal by the newly sworn-in president. This untimely and needless pronouncement created wide spread panic in the petroleum industry resulting in at least 300% hike in PMS price with the concomitant ripple effects on transportation, prizes of goods and services and general cost of living of Nigerians after just one day in office.

Surely, HE Peter Obi as president would have done this differently. He would never have abused the sensibilities of Nigerians with such grandstanding as his first policy statement. As a man who is down-to-earth, compassionate and accessible, he would have made wide consultations and put the necessary measures in place to tackle massive corruption in the sector and to cushion the effects of the final removal of fuel subsidy before the announcement.

But when you have oligarchs and feudalists running a government whose legality is still being seriously contested, what you get is this kind of confusion, anxiety and suffering. It’s tragically ironic that a government whose mantra is ‘renewed hope’ is starting off with inflicting the citizens with maximum hopelessness. Let us pray, in hope that the judiciary will do the right thing and restore the hope, the true hope of Nigerians by courageously recovering Peter Obi’s stolen mandate.

PeterObiIsBetter

Adim writes for PO Express Media, POEM.