Nigerians get upset and angry at the attempts of defenders of the government, and I do understand, and empathise why.

I understand how painful and irritating it could feel to hear people take out time to raise or hail President Bola Tinubu’s (PBAT) efforts, when the economy is still at such a downturn, with everybody feeling the pinch, and nobody, not even the legendary Dantata seems at ease.
It must be exasperating and overpowering, hence the angst it raises, to hear people try to exonerate PBAT of any wrongdoing.

Thus the recent backlash on social media against Chief Doyin Okupe, who was only recently the anchorman of His Excellency Peter Obi, during the elections that ushered in the reign of PBAT, and who was also erstwhile spokesperson for former Presidents, Jonathan and Obasanjo. Also and hitherto, the discontentment and disparaging remarks and content, created and circulated about other defenders of the present government.

What could be the basis for exoneration when after all, PBAT effectively brought Buhari into power from retirement as an ousted dictator Head of State, to which now, could be deemed by some, as a wilful decision to slaughter Nigeria on the altar of self interest to have his turn to rule as President, for a tenure since christened “Emilokan”.

Why would anyone dare defend PBAT with the afore mentioned precedence of events and now, the daily difficulties faced by Nigerians when, the buck stops at his table?

These are amidst a bloated cabinet of ministers, and a directive for belt tightening measures to be endured by citizens, which seem to exempt post holding government officials, and political cronies.

Also, the purchase of ultra luxurious goods such as the new presidential jet, the yacht and fleet of vehicles do not show any austere measures of the government upon itself, or the needful sensitivity and empathy for its citizens going through such hard times.

Further baffling, and causing a sense of despondency to citizens, is how long it has taken the government/ NNPCL to sort out the issue of primary supplies to the now completed Dangote refinery, and the lack of transparency the transaction has been shrouded in.

The questioning of the validity of the sensationalised news of a repaired and producing Port-Harcourt refinery shows clearly, the weariness of the masses and their reluctance to trust the government, on its promises, or believe any positive gains or claims announced (albeit a psyche formed over time due to cumulative failed promises of previous governments as well).

This lack of trust in government in itself, stands as an obstacle at the gateway to HOPE.

Together, these skipping partners, cavort with the controversial tax reforms on way, CBN directives to banks including the fifty Naira levy on cash transfers, and government edicts on this and that, only culminate into backbreaking additional expenses to the masses.
Thus, all the more, the chasm between the socio- economic classes, increases to what seems like the (depleted, and almost none existent) middle class, the working class and unemployed, paying with their blood for the largess of the ruling class.

How can this be the lot of a people not officially at war, and in a country with 77.62% literate people as at 2021 (according to VerivAfrica)in the 21st century?

It is not just absurd, but a travesty of a system that has failed the people it is supposed to serve, nuture and safeguard.
No wonder the palpable angst.

I agree with Nigerians that the suffering has crescendoed to an unprecedented octave, and that the government should stop making excuses but accelerate actions that give real and veritable respite. Therefore, PBAT’s government must rise up and take resuscitative measures for a populace on their last gasp for breath!

Nevertheless, there is still place for his supporters to defend his government, for they are only defending their hope.

There is still a place too, for his none supporters to put the pervading economic climate into the perspective. It is a place that throwing out sentiments, could give room for rationalising why the situation seems to have spiralled out of control.

If things are compartmentalised, people might still want to give PBAT a bit of time to see if some form of equilibrium will eventually come out of all the actions collectively taken by him, thus far.

I have made up a little anecdote throw in some illumination and it goes like this…
In a certain land not too faraway, deep humongous pits were dug all over a village, and its farmsteads, where food was meant to be grown, harvested and enjoyed. In place of the soil dug out and carted away, the pits were covered with raffia mats.

Now, it was only a matter of time, before the children began to sink into the pits along with the mats.

Later, some well meaning elders came along, and began filling the pits up with bits of leftover soil and garbage.
Eventually, the bits of soil and garbage broke down into fine manure, useful for growing stomach filling foods like Agbado(corn), yam, fruits like mango, oranges, and even cash crops like cocoa, sugar cane, and body healing herbs.
Before then unfortunately, had been a time passage of excruciating hunger and pain. Thankfully, like the proverbial darkest hour, it turned into a call in of the breaking of dawn.

Let us appropriate this story now…
Lest Nigerias forget, that under former President Muhammadu Buhari, pits of hunger, inflation and insecurity were dug all around the village and farmsteads(Nigeria). Monies without commensurate value and productivity were printed as cover up mats over these pits, and used for humongous payouts, with impunity, and without recourse to proper accounting, or efforts of balancing the sheets of deficits and surpluses. In fact in this case, even pluses were elusive.

The fertile soil of the farmsteads of the nation’s commonwealth in forms of factors of production, serviced debts and repayments, FDIs, reserves, resources were frittered away, and an escalated breakdown of national security exacerbated by porous borders, became the order of the day.

These militating conditions cascaded against the economy and wellbeing of the citizens, were not going to magically evaporate and dissipate with a change of government leadership. Certainly not without taking a toll of its cumulative effect on the nation and its people.
However, but NOT curiously, it seems Nigerians have chosen to set aside the painful memories of PMB’s eight years’ reign that preceded the current PBAT’s eighteen months old government, as though it never happened.

Understandably it could be the psychological reaction in dealing with trauma, which sometimes results in the victim deleting off the memories, to ease the pain.

It can be understood that the people were only too glad to have survived the “Buhari affliction”, and quickly let it go, to jump onto the wagon of “Renewed Hope” with great expectations of an immediate miracle.

Thus, the rude shock of the removal of fuel subsidy on the first day of the new government, and the unprecedented hike in the cost of fuel with consequences on the cost of food and living, has become an unforgivable bitter pill, and anathema for PBAT’s government.

In spite of the harsh realities of these pragmatic measures taken, Nigerians might need to keep keenly peeled eyes and a proper account of the sequence of events. It might be worth remembering for proper evaluation.

Hence, Nigerians must hold on to the memories as precious canoes, to enable navigation out of the labyrinth of muddy creeks, from point A where the people have been strangle-held to point B, which is the hope for the brighter place. Let the memories be the oars of courage for focus and determination to row upstream and catalyse the muscles growth of resilience.

Against the odds, it is pertinent to use hope as a sail to the bay of a better future, and a time soon, when the nation’s children cease to be swallowed by the pit. That hope that it will not be a moment too late, to end their becoming a part of the pit fillers, of the pit born compost.

From diaspora, I had closely followed the visionary exploits of former President Goodluck Jonathan whom I idolise as my political spiritual leader and father, hero and mentor. I monitored the years of prosperity and the regard for freedom of speech, underscored by reverential recourse to the Rule of Law under him.

Those were glory years for Nigeria under a true Democrat. They were years where every political party had a say, the people’s voices were heard, the parliament had power, the Electoral Commission was independent, and the Courts ruled, not out of coercion but of understanding, discernment and, discretion.

Since leaving office, we still see Dr Jonathan continue to epitomise the definition of the Patriot-Leader and Statesman. He infuses the polity with temperance, and urges hope to Nigerians.

Thus like Dr Jonathan, the hero of our democracy, I write with empathy for Nigerians. I acknowledging the pains they have been going through, and implore them to hold onto hope, no matter how bleak the situation seems.

Countrymen of my ancestral homeland, let us hope together despite some flaws we have seen, that President Bola Tinubu’s government might sincerely be on a mission to fix those pits, burrowed by former President Buhari’s tenure. That, despite some pitfalls, with time under PBAT’s reign, fruitful orchards would grow out of those once harrowing pits.

Hope preserves. Hope might not look beautiful all the time, yet HOPE can be the sturdy, steady vehicle to that brighter future, hoped for.

Julie A Dyer writes from England