In a few hours from now, the year 2024 with all its attendant tribulations and down turns will give way to a new year. A year of renewed hope.
Soon, the bells will chime at the cathederals at the nick of time to herald a new dawn. We shall be awakened by a skyline clouded by fireworks. That would be the moment we would say good riddance to bad rubish. Welcome to 2025.
2024 as it were, will glide to a peaceful rest in the archives of eternal history. And thereby making room for a new beginning. A new dawn. Isn’t that invigorating as well as pleasantly reassuring?
To be sure, it’s been12 agonizing moths of unattenuated calamity-at an epidemic proportion. 2024 was a year, one cannot forget in a hurry. Even if you try to do so by default.
It is not an exageration that hunger and poverty took its toll on Nigerians. The middle class who were the nouveau-riche of yesterday have been conspicously and unavoidably eclipsed by the realities of our economy.
Many cannot wait to see the new year. Indeed, with batted breathe we are waiting to draw in fresh breath from the fresh air of a fresh year.
Howbeit, we have never been this traumatized as a people or as a nation. All of a sudden the indices on the dashboard are looking hopelessly awful. Hopes are dashed and nicked at will. Government’s efforts to stir the ship of state aright remain questionable.
We have found ourselves at the nadir of existence. Unwittingly so. Never in the political history of this country have we been subjected to this harrowing experience. Yes, we’ve had some distressful economic upsets in the past, especially during the Shagari era. Not forgeting Gen. Ibrahim Babangida’s Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP). None can compare to what obtains today. None, whatsoever. We are in the crevices of darkness. Our situation is very precarious. Doubtful so.
What we have in our hands is an aberration at best. At least I should know because I have been around here a few days. You do not need an economist to pontificate on the dare economic
Crisis in the land.
2024 has been quite an eventful year. A year of pain, tears, blood and sorrow. The abnormalities of the year took a turn for the worst when the government came up with its twin economic initiative: to remove the controversial subsidy on Petroleum products and the adjustment of the foreign exchange market. Perhaps, they screwed up. Perhaps.
The iniative was ill-time and the consequences are devastatingly painful. And pervasive.
The socio-political situation in the country was in shambles. And so was the economy. Unemployment, insecurity, stagflation and other social upheaval and political brigandage characterized the year. Life is precarious and miserable for most families across board across the nation.
The existential malaise held families hostage. Several multinational companies fled out of the country. The economic outlook as well as business climate was acutely unfavourable. Lay offs and downsizing became preponderant. The few corporate entities that mustered the courage to invest in the economy had no choice but to make the necessary adjustments to remain afloat.
Despite this ugly drawback, our streets and homes are flooded by a teeming army of unemployed and un-employable graduates. The universities without reservation turn in hundreds of thousands of graduates-whether baked, half baked or quarter baked. These graduates roam the streets seeking employment opportunities where there are none. Employment portals are perpectually closed to fresh hands. And the gnarled hands in service are so creative in subverting the system. Civil servants are so ingenious in circumventing the employment rules. Retirements are perpectually delayed. Resignation is a taboo. In some environments dead employees resurface to take their old employments.
The hunger in the land is
threatening the fabric of our existence. There’s never been a year like this where lives are devalued and decimated with great impunity.
To be continued…
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