By Chibuike Nwabuko
The Nigerian government has declared war not on corruption, not on insecurity, not on mismanagement, but on the very people it swore to protect. From one poorly thought-out policy to another, the Federal Government (FG) has chosen to tighten the noose around the necks of ordinary Nigerians, particularly in essential sectors like electricity, fuel, kerosene, and diesel. Instead of governance, what we have is a systematic, deliberate impoverishment of the masses.
Let’s start with electricity—a lifeline for households and small businesses. In a disturbing development on Kubwa, Abuja, a disturbing anomaly occurred recently that lays bare the silent extortion Nigerians are being subjected to. In September, ₦8,000 could fetch about 143.7kwh of electricity. Today, that same amount fetches just 93.7kwh—a staggering 50kwh reduction and no one informed the people, no notice was given, no justification offered. This isn’t just an anomaly; it’s a blatant slap in the face of citizens struggling to survive. This is just one example and a tip of the iceberg in a sea of opaque and punishing energy policies designed to drain the people, not empower them.
Meanwhile, fuel prices have skyrocketed following the removal of subsidies. The FG insists it’s saving money, but where is the money going? The life of the citizenry is not improving, healthcare remains a mess, education is gasping for air, and food inflation has reached unbearable levels. Instead of relief, what Nigerians are witnessing is a government on a borrowing spree; approaching every willing loaning institution or nation while offering no transparent investment or long-term plan in return. It’s a vicious cycle: we suffer the consequences, they spend in silence.
If this isn’t a betrayal of public trust, what is?
While the masses bleed at the pumps and electricity meters, the very people in power, the elite government officials and ministers are caught in one scandal after another. Funds are looted, contracts are padded, and resources meant for public good are diverted into private accounts. Yet, no one is sacked. No one is probed. No meaningful anti-corruption campaign has surfaced. These people, many of whom have built mansions across Nigeria; properties that remain unoccupied face no consequences. The idea of a property tax on these underutilized, suspiciously acquired assets is non-existent in the government’s agenda. Instead, they focus on draining every last kobo from the sweat of the poor.
Even kerosene and diesel, once considered alternatives for the average Nigerian, have become luxuries. Prices are beyond the reach of the common man. Small businesses are shutting down. Families are reverting to firewood in urban centres. What decade are we living in?
This government keeps repeating the tired excuse of “subsidy removal is for long-term gain,” but the truth remains that the suffering is here and now, and no one is seeing or feeling the benefits. Instead of cutting the cost of governance, filled with bloated allowances, convoys, foreign trips, and luxury lifestyles, they have chosen to cut the lifeline of the Nigerian people.
The real tragedy is that many Nigerians have become numb to this suffering. But we must not stay silent. The government must be called out for what it is doing, which is weaponizing poverty through reckless economic decisions, indifference to accountability, and the total absence of empathy.
This is not governance. This is punishment.
Enough is enough. The Federal Government must stop impoverishing Nigerians and start doing the job it was elected to do: protect, provide, and prosper the people, not punish them.
Mr. Chibuike Nwabuko – an Economist, Political Analyst and Good Governance Crusader writes in from Abuja. He can be reached on [email protected].
