Millions of Nigerians have expressed their concurrence on this: that President Bola Tinubu?s government has performed abysmally and dismally, so far. And even the most patriotic Nigerian, who has a pan Nigerian viewpoint, cannot gainsay the stark fact that Nigeria is on a steady auto-reverse gear since the inception of the Tinubu-led government in 2023. Has the Nigerian economy not taken so much beatings from the misconceived economic policies executed by President Bola Tinubu that it has nose-dived to an abysmally low-level?

For example, the removal of the fuel subsidy in our country caused the prevalent high cost of fuel in Nigeria. Consequently, the prices of essential food commodities have risen beyond the purchasing power of innumerable Nigerians, who live below the breadline. And sick Nigerians cannot buy drugs for the treatment of their diseases because the prices of the drugs are so exorbitant.

While the economy is on a life support machine, the security of life and property cannot be guaranteed in our dear country. In the southern part of Nigeria, kidnapping people for ransom is still a thriving business for kidnappers. And bandits, terrorists, and insurgents have run amuck in most northern states of Nigeria, unchallenged. Are large swathes of some northern States not ungovernable?

More so, the power sector and the area of infrastructure have fared no better since President Tinubu took over the reins of power in 2023. Incessant power outage has become a feature of our national life with its negative effects on our factories and industries. Those industries that rely on regular supply of electricity for their production of goods do not operate at their optimal capacities, anymore, owing to Nigeria?s seemingly intractable energy crisis. And the existence of crater-infested roads in Nigeria has underlined our country?s infrastructural rot.

So it can be seen that the APC-led government headed by President Bola Tinubu has not lived up to our expectations. Yet President Tinubu?s long sojourn in the corridors of power ought to have prepared him adequately for the challenges of political leadership and imbued him with remarkable insights on how to tackle our country?s hydra-headed and multifaceted problems. A onetime senator of the federal republic of Nigeria, he ruled Lagos state for eight years. And Lagos state is Nigeria?s melting pot as Nigerians, who hail from many different ethnic groups have made Lagos their home.

When he became the president of Nigeria, Nigerians from different walks of life expected him to re-enact the sterling leadership performance he recorded in Lagos on the national stage. But so far, President Tinubu?s outing as the president of Nigeria is disastrous, lacklustre, abysmal, and uninspiring. And President Tinubu, who makes out to be a progressive-minded politician and a great disciple of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, carried out economic policies that failed to have the anticipated impact on the generality of Nigerians.

His removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira worsened our economic problem instead of ameliorating it. The consequence is that millions of impoverished and pauperised Nigerians do scavenge in the refuse dumps for leftovers, as they have no money with which to buy food commodities. And those poor Nigerians have reduced their inter-state travels as bus fares have risen, astronomically.

The corollary of the ugly state of things in Nigeria was the ten-day nation-wide protest, which seized the country by the jugular. The wave of the protest swept through the states of Nigeria, causing huge economic losses to our country. Poor Nigerians who are disillusioned and disenchanted with Nigeria?s condition poured into the streets for the protests.

Sadly, and incredibly, too, many protesters, though peaceful and unarmed, were arrested and hauled into detention for no just cause. They?re wrongly accused of committing treasonous offences. Are people?s participation in protests to register their displeasure and disenchantment with the prevailing unpalatable socio-economic situation in their country a treasonable offence?

But we all know that President Tinubu, who, today, brooks no opposition, participated in countless protests during Nigeria?s unsettled and troubled period. During the heady days of the military dictator, Sani Abacha, he joined NADECO, a group of democracy and human rights activists and journalists that fought for the restoration of democratic rule in Nigeria. He is a beneficiary of the series of protests that contributed to the birthing of the fourth republic in Nigeria.

Nigerians reserve the right to stage protests to vent their emotions and air their grievances about the condition of Nigeria. The constitution of Nigeria guarantees our right to peaceful assembly and expression of our thoughts on myriads of matters. So muffling the voices of dissent and hounding protesters into jail signpost our country?s incipient descent into totalitarianism.

Instead of using high-handedness to suppress forces of opposition, President Tinubu should think outside the box to find lasting solutions to the problems, which have hobbled Nigeria. As to that, non-performing ministers should be relieved of their ministerial jobs to create room for the injection of new blood in the federal executive cabinet. And misconceived economic policies that failed to yield the desired results should be jettisoned.

Sadly, however, the fact is that Nigeria has been on an auto-reverse gear since this civilian government came on board. The economic indices of our country show that our economy is in the woods. The pot-holed roads in Nigeria are proofs of our country?s infrastructural rot. The epidemic of kidnapping in southern Nigeria and the incubus of terrorism and insurgence in northern Nigerian point to Nigeria?s unending security challenges.

So the way forward for Nigeria is this: government should change tack regarding how it is tackling our numerous problems. And President Tinubu should rejig the executive cabinet and desist from using political patronage in cobbling a new executive cabinet.

More so, instead of hounding protesters into jail and using strong-arms tactics to muffle the voices of dissent, President Tinubu should tackle the problems confronting us, holistically and head-on.

?Chiedu Uche Okoye, a poet, writes from Uruowulu-Obosi, Anambra State. He can be reached via 08062220654 and 09125204141

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