Queuing for rice: The blood and tears
By Yemi Adebowale
Scenes of Nigerians queuing for food is now common across beloved Nigeria as millions of people battle for survival. Nigerians have never been this pauperized. The most common queue is that for the staple called rice. Our adored rice jumped from about N40,000 per 50kg bag in May 2023 to around N90,000 now, no thanks to the stupid economic policies of the Tinubu government. Now, most homes can no longer afford rice.
So, when Nigeria’s lethargic governments at all levels are providing their so-called palliatives, it is mainly rice. Distressed Nigerians swarm such venues with so much desperation. At the end of the day, more often than not, they get a miserable quantity of rice. Many also return to their homes with injuries. Some even perish. A stampede at one of such venues in Yaba, Lagos on February 23 led to the death of seven hapless Nigerians. They died queuing for rice. The affected families and relations of the victims are still mourning. Their tears may never dry. What a country!
Majority of those queueing for food are not happy doing this. They want an end to the beggarly treatment. They would love to walk into markets and buy their food. Skyrocketing prices of food have restricted them. Inflation is now at over 30 per cent. Our governments at all level must take pragmatic steps to bring down the prices of food. It is not enough to share rice. Enough of cosmetic measures.
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The removal of petrol subsidy and the floating of the Naira are major factors responsible for rising food prices. The raging terrorism that has made it impossible for many farmers to access farms is also a factor affecting food prices. These are the issues I expect a serious government to tackle frontally. Unfortunately, the Tinubu government has failed woefully in this direction. Terrorists are still roaming unhindered, killing and maiming Nigerians. As a result, thousands of Nigerians have abandoned their farms.
Our darling Naira is in shreds. It continues to depreciate against major world currencies. Every good government works to enhance the value of its currency. That’s one of the things Tinubu should be doing to bring down the prices of food. It should not be about just sharing rice.
The price of diesel, used by trucks transporting produce from farms, is at a record N1400 per litre in some states. Petrol is at a record N750 per litre in some states. So, prices of farm produce will continue to rise if rising fuel price is not properly handled.
RingTrue with Yemi Adebowale, March 20, 2024. yemiadebowale@yahoo.com; 08054699539 (text only)
