No doubt, the Nigeria economy is in a dire strait, as efforts to reverse the dwindling fortune since the inception of the last democratic experiment have almost hit the rock. While it was, acceptably so, fashionable to blame protracted military rules for the collapse of the economy, the two democratic regimes presided over by opposing political parties, following the defeat of an incumbent PDP by an opposition APC in 2015 almost escalated blame-game to an important parameter in governance. The vitriolic excoriation of the Jonathan government by the succeeding administration of Buhari is not same with what the Tinubu government is making of the latter, even though there are now enough instances suggestive that the Tinubu administration is not entirely happy with how the Buhari government handled the affairs of the nation, despite belonging to the same political party.
If anybody is in doubt about the ill feelings between these two regimes, such a person should be reminded that Emefiele, the then CBN Governor, is still in custody, Bawa, the former EFCC Chairman, is in detention, as questions are being asked of how monies were applied in anchor borrowers scheme, etc., in a manner suggesting of the need to note when the rains began to beat one, as counselled by Chinua Achebe. The legal wizard, Wole Olanipekun, has advised Tinubu to probe some past political office holders, just that such probes have not sufficiently profited the country in the past. The recovered Abacha loots repatriated into the country were prescriptively used to fund conditional cash transfers, in line with the direction of the World Bank. The arbitrary deployment of these restored resources to salvage the poor has not produced effective transformational redemption for poor Nigerians whose number has ballooned. Despite the concerted efforts made by Buhari, multidimensionally poor Nigerians in his regime increased to 133 million.
Referencing the combustive economy under Buhari, we are reminded of the efficient usage of mythical materials, like proverbs, to make a sense of realistic facts. Apart from the fact that myths are used to explain things that are ordinarily inexplicable, proverbs are fundamentally essential in building images and reinforcing imaginations. Yoruba proverbs, just like those from other places, are very unique in responding to the flora and fauna of the people, and are universally relevant, moving from provincialism to globalised communication. It is to this end that another proverb comes to mind, to the effect that: Bí ojà bá tú tán, Pàtepàte ni yó kù (simply translated to: after the day’s market, only sheds and tables would be left behind; with these items assuming the personification of human personage). The beauty in tonal languages is revealed in this proverb as no use of tone marks could lead to vexatious ambivalence or ambiguity. For instance, the last word ‘ku’ would either mean ‘kù, ‘remaining’ or ‘kú’, ‘death’ depending on the tone marks.
Postmodern engagements thrive on the interface created between traditional elements and contemporary realities to attain uncommon rich rhetoric. This was the case when a clergy of one Orthodox Church used the Pàtepàte proverb to enunciate and accentuate human existential emptiness during his sermon at a burial ceremony. He had stressed that after the many human activities on earth, and at death, the human body would exist uselessly outside the breath that hitherto enlivened it. The Pàtepàte mythical proverb, like many others, may not dissuade humans from their avoidable overboard, but its validity subsists in the consequences that await people who refuse to benefit from the cautionary notes therein. To this end, you and I may be presently far gone in the trading in this temporary market of human existence, Pàtepàte would outlive us all.
Buhari’s handling of the economy was recently countenanced by four notable Nigerians, with different ratings that are nonetheless negative. The first opinion was that of Charles Soludo, the Governor of Anambra State, who avowed that Tinubu government inherited an economy like a dead horse but standing. The second thought was that of Lamido Sanusi, the former CNB Governor and immediate Emir of Kano, who opined that Buhari-led government treated the economy without recourse to experts, claiming that an “inexperienced boy” owned a jet under the administration, while the third stand was that of the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, who said that he knew that Buhari did not understand economics but did not know he was a reckless spender. The fourth person was the former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adokie, who called Buhari’s regime out on its lacklustre handling of the economy and bogus fight against corruption.
Responding to the allegation of Adokie, Buhari, speaking through his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, claimed that he ‘rescued’ Nigeria’s economy and saved the country from corruption. Now, it is Buhari’s words against his critics. We must not lose sight of the fact that Bishop Hassan Kukah was a relentless critic of the Buhari’s administration then, and he was not spared by both Garba Shehu and Femi Adeshina who lived up to their billings as the defender generals of the government. Obasanjo similarly wrote some open letters to lampoon the Buhari’s administration.
Soludo, Sanusi, Obasanjo and Adokie may not be incorruptible judges in the matter relating to the assessment of Buhari’s administration, but the image of a dead standing horse evoked by Soludo is a dreadful metaphor that is illustrative of the challenging economy that Tinubu inherited. The decapitation of the amorphous fuel subsidy has since left Nigerians wriggling in pains after 100 days of Tinubu’s inauguration. This is as 90 percent of the nation’s earnings would be used to service debts. We may not pity Tinubu, as he has counselled, but the condition of Nigerians is strait and pitiable.
Kayode Fayemi, the former Governor of Ekiti State, opened another sphere of Pàtepàte relevance with his recent confession that the protest the then opposition elements staged against the removal of fuel subsidy by Jonathan administration in 2012 was mere politics. It is common knowledge that the opposition political party, APC, was vociferous in the past, and Machiavellian as a ruling party, in power. The politics of relevance and the game of power have been uniting politicians across different political divides, with handshakes across old borders blurring remarkable old edges created for political ascendancy. Wike is a phenomenon in the present dispensation of political negotiation and power sharing, as only time will tell how the consummation of his rapprochement with opposition political party would end, devoid of reproach. Self enlightened interest is it!
Now that the traders have gone home, aligning with the end of Buhari’s administration, Nigerians are left with the Pàtepàte of: diversified economy that ended as a ruse, despite the spirited efforts made to build new rice pyramids; monolithic foreign exchange earnings; huge borrowing with the consequence of burdening debt servicing; fuel subsidy removal and consequential worsened impoverishment of majority of Nigerians; while the ruling class struggle to also sustain their ostentatious lifestyles. If the eight-years efforts of Buhari were not good enough that we were left with Pàtepàte, it is important to discourage governance by experimentation, that would allow citizens only add years numerically, and not values exponentially.
To reverse the trend of the disturbing Pàtepàte we are confronted with and stay afloat, Nigeria must: re-enact the market and trading by cultivating her arable land, thereby inducing agricultural revolution; ensure the exploration, transformation and exportation of natural resources; embark on energy revolution and popularisation of practical education; kill corruption, as against its massaging in recent past; and be nationalistic in patronising locally-produced goods and services.
Going forward, governance should not be by experimentation, even as citizens get wiser in democratically replacing ineffective governments at all levels. The nation must reform to decongest the heavy centre, and empower sub-regional governments. Nigerians must attain unanimity in thought for national rebirth and growth. Individuals with excess capitalist wealth must surrender some in the attainment of desirable expropriation and redistribution. It is needful that we learn from the myth of Pàtepàte, which is suggestive of the predictable emptiness that will follow the once noisy marketing and profiting that we are all fixated on. May parents and guardians not fail or faint, as their children and wards resume for the new session, amidst economic crunch!
