“I shall Always Listen To You, I shall Never Turn Back on you!”

 

On Democracy Day, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu addressed the Nigerian people amidst high expectations. His speech came at a critical time when the country is experiencing significant economic challenges, including high inflation, increasing taxes, rising electricity tariffs, and a declining education system. With the level of hardship in the country, which the government has consistently acknowledged and admitted are connected to its policies and actions, many people Nigerians probably listened to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech with the hope of announcement of some changes that would deduce the current level of despair among the citizens. 

In a period of one year of his administration, Nigerians have experienced significant economic challenges linked to high inflation rate, increase in taxes, rise in the pump price of petrol, rising electricity tariffs, and astronomical rise in the cost of living associated with the increase in the cost of essential facilities. The decline in the education sector and healthcare system has also become more pronounced, in the past one year, even if arguably there has been in steady decline these sectors in the past years.  

Given the significance of the 2024 Democracy Day celebration marking the 25th anniversary of civilian rule in the country, the longest of democratic dispensation in the country, the president’s speech understandably commenced with the acknowledgement of the roles of some of the key players in the struggle to end military rule. Of significance too is the president’s reflection on the dreams of the founding fathers of the nation and the leading figures in the many struggles for democratic rule in the country. While the president’s speech might have spoken to some sentiments in its acknowledgement of the historical roles of some of the individuals who contributed to the end of military rule, most relevant to most Nigerians perhaps is his comments on the current labour demand for new minimum wage in the  and the state of economy.  President Tinubu’s speech is perhaps one of the best in terms of diction in the history presidential speeches in the country since 1999. However, the speech suffered a huge deficit in the disconnection between the aspirations of the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation, the dreams that drove the energies of the anti-military rules movements of the 1990s outlined in it, and the response to the current situation in the country contained in it.

Irrespective of the standpoint and ideological posture or school of thoughts subscribed to by the past heroes and heroines of the nation, their visions converged on several key principles. These include ensuring that all Nigerians, irrespective of gender, economic background, or political affiliation, have access to education, security, and other basic amenities as well as opportunities for self-development; treating all Nigerians equally and providing them with equal opportunities, including decent jobs and fair wages; and fundamentally protecting and guaranteeing the rights of all citizens. These ideals are the cornerstone of the tireless efforts made by the heroes and heroines who fought for the current democratic rule.

Standing out prominently in the president’s speech are his words, "I shall always listen to you, I shall never turn my back on you." These on their own should be heartwarming words, a deeper scrutiny of the speech however, would raise some concerns. The minimum wage and rising cost of living are major issues of national interest many would want definite statements from the president on.  While the president mentioned the labour demands and made reference to the likelihood of some parliamentary engagement on this, his speech fell short of precisely outlining strategic response to the ongoing labour crisis. He subsequently shifted focus to the economy and concluded by assuring the nation that he would protect our democracy, again without definite outlay of actions or indications of actions to be taken.

Despite the pressing issues facing the country, there are underlying root causes that significantly impact the Nigerian population. These include a high rate of out-of-school children, rising unemployment among youths, escalating domestic and gender-based violence, and the widespread denial of political and economic opportunities to girls, young women, and youths, hindering their full participation in the development process.

So, Mr. President, listen to the over 20 million out-of-school children who, due to cultural, traditional, and multidimensional poverty, can no longer attend school. Their numbers are equivalent to the populations of many countries in West Africa and even Africa as a whole, potentially leading to increased insecurity, unemployment, and a large underkilled and unemployable population. Among this vast group, many are girls who are often forced into early and child marriages. A frightening statistic from UNICEF indicates that more girls than boys are forced into marriage, with this number likely to double before 2030.

We hope Mr. President will listen to the number of girls who can no longer afford sanitary pads and are forced to use unhygienic menstrual materials. We hope President Tinubu will also hear the voices of girls, young women, and women who face various forms of gender and domestic violence, a growing trend exacerbated by economic hardship and the increasing rates of unemployment and underemployment in Nigeria.

President Tinubu must not ignore the voices of young people who, through their commitment to a better Nigeria, have given their all, much like the democrats who fought to preserve the sanctity of the June 12 election. Yet, their efforts are often met with unconstitutional means of suppression by state institutions. We hope President Tinubu can hear these suppressed voices calling for inclusion and representation, extending beyond government appointments to responsive social services for all citizens.

Nigerians are calling, and we hope your back will not be turned. It is a democracy for all!


Jonathan Abakpa

(Soweto)


 


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