By Nnaoke Ufere, PhD
Across Nigeria, amidst daily struggles and widespread suffering, a profound sorrow echoes. This melody of melancholy reverberates through the lived lives of millions of Nigerians, who endure the brunt of our nation’s man-made problems and hardships.
This is a cry, President Tinubu, a plea for understanding, compassion, and change. It is the cry of a people who have suffered long enough, families who are destitute, and citizens who are dying.
President Tinubu, do you hear these cries? They are the heartbeat of a nation that yearns for genuine transformation. They are the voices of a people who, despite the hardships, still hold onto hope. Nigerians hope you will listen, that your government will act, and that our country will rise to its true potential.
The echoes of this cry reverberate through crowded homes, crumbling schools, overpriced markets, and perilous streets across the nation, where families grapple with soaring inflation, hunger, and deaths born of despair.
These cries arise from every corner of our nation, echoing from Christians, Muslims, and those of no faith alike, from every tribe and ethnicity, from all regions and states.
It is the hungry cries of children who went to bed last night with empty stomachs and woke up with little hope in a resource-rich country. These young voices, filled with despair, highlight the harsh reality faced by our most vulnerable citizens.
It is in the whispers of mothers whose voices have broken from grief, who have lost their children to preventable diseases and hunger.
It can be heard in the sighs of fathers who toil from dawn to dusk in jobs that pay less than N30,000 a month, only to find their earnings insufficient to pay rent or provide a stable life for their families.
It echoes in the hearts of the youth who, despite their degrees and dreams, find themselves in a relentless struggle against extreme unemployment, wandering the perilous streets of the nation in search of jobs that don’t exist.
These are the solemn cries of thousands of Nigerians who regularly lose their jobs and livelihoods as companies are forced to shut down and leave the country due to your policies or lack thereof.
It is the heart-wrenching cries of thousands of Nigerian students in universities around the world who can’t pay for their education because you devalued the Naira and depleted supply of foreign currency.
It is the cries of law-abiding citizens who watch in despair as members of your administration and the National Assembly squander limited resources on lavish salaries and bloated expenses, while the rest of the populace pleads for a living wage.
It is the anguished cries of over 450 school children kidnapped from their dormitories, torn away from their families, and thrust into a nightmare of fear and uncertainty.
It is the dying cries of thousands of sick elders, destitutes, and those cast aside, who cannot afford the exorbitant costs of medical treatment. These vulnerable individuals, left to suffer without access to essential healthcare, embody the deepening crisis within our nation.
It is the anguished wails of farmers and communities devastated by violent conflicts with armed herdsmen. Each day, they despair over the lack of national grazing lands, which perpetuates deadly clashes, endangers lives, and disrupts rural life.
Mr. President, these are our collective cries as Nigerians. What affects many of our citizens directly, affects us all indirectly. Can you hear us? What will it take for you to feel our pains and change your policies that are hurting millions?
Our citizens are crying out for relief and meaningful change. How long will you ignore their plight and continue with policies that deepen their despair?
Is it only when the Rivers Niger and Benue foam with blood that you will hear the anguish of the people? Will you listen when more Nigerians die?
Will it take roads, seaports, and airports flooded with the tears of millions of Nigerians for you to finally pay attention? Is it when the piled bodies of dead Nigerians overflow morgues?
What will it take, Mr. President, for you to listen, to hear, to see, and to feel the pains of Nigerians? These cries, President Tinubu, are not just the sounds of discontent as you often claim; they are the voices of citizens yearning for a better Nigeria, a united, stable, peaceful and prosperous nation.
In several statements, you deplore our cries as mere complaints. But your statements, I am sorry to say, fail to express a similar concern for the policies that brought about our cries.
We cry because of you, President Tinubu. Your policy mistakes and their negative consequences on our families are why we cry in anguish. Your administration is at a critical juncture; will you choose to hear and heal, or continue to turn a blind eye to the suffering of your fellow citizens?
You have asked us to wait, to be patient, to tighten our belts, and to bear the pain while waiting for your policy changes to bear fruit. But we’ve been waiting for 64 years since independence.
How can we wait any longer when we observe the obscene salaries and allowances paid to members of your administration and the National Assembly members, while your armchair economists argue that raising the minimum wage would worsen the economy?
What they don’t tell you is that reducing the cost of government by only 10%, including the costs to support an unproductive National Assembly and bloated ministries, is where the opportunities lie.
We can wait no longer, Mr. President. Millions have died waiting. It has become clear that waiting in purgatory is no longer an option. Now is the time to make real changes to improve our conditions.
Our patience has run thin, and our cries for change must be heard. We deserve a government where the promises of fairness and opportunity are fulfilled, where you prioritize the well-being of all citizens, not just your own and your party.
We demand action now, for the time for waiting has long passed.
Before closing, President Tinubu, remember: those whom God wishes to destroy, He first deprives of empathy and the ability to hear.
Ignoring our people’s suffering jeopardizes your right to govern. Compassion and responsiveness are pillars of just leadership; without them, you will forfeit your legitimacy as president. This is not a fate we wish upon you.
Therefore, the cries of our people are a call to real action, a plea for a just, prosperous, and united Nigeria. President Tinubu, listen to our people, understand their struggles, and act with the urgency and commitment their plight demands.
