Leadership is a sacred agreement between a leader and his people, and it must be stated that a leader must learn to honor every promise made to the people, as it is a commitment unto death. Before the people demand accountability, every leader must develop and demonstrate a higher level of accountability in all their dealings.
A leader must always prioritize the sufferings of his people, as exemplified by President de Gaulle, who deliberately fled his presidential palace during the 1968 riots to avoid bloodshed. This is the hallmark of leadership, constantly prioritizing the people. In contrast, the handling of the EndSARS protests in Nigeria did not demonstrate the same level of consideration for human life.
Accountability is about holding a leader to their words and moral conduct. The recent controversy surrounding Angela Reyna, the Deputy British Prime Minister, who resigned her roles for underpaying taxes, is a testament to the importance of accountability. However, it would be unrealistic to compare the level of accountability in the UK to that in Nigeria. In this piece, I demand some level of accountability from President Bola Tinubu based on his unfulfilled promises. Firstly, regarding Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
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After the removal of the fuel subsidy on inauguration day, President Tinubu touted CNG as a tool to cushion the hardship caused by the increase in fuel prices. On October 22, 2022, he reportedly advised Nigerians to purchase CNG, stating that a liter of petrol could be purchased at N1,000, while the equivalent of a liter of petrol in CNG could be purchased for N200. However, what President Tinubu failed to disclose was that the N200 CNG rate was subsidized, and the subsidy would be removed by September 2025.
As reported by The Punch, the price of CNG has now increased to over N450 per standard cubic meter. This raises questions about the leadership's commitment to saving Nigerians. How will motorists who have converted their cars to CNG cope with this increase? Furthermore, during his engagements with labor leaders, President Tinubu consistently assured that the refineries owned by the NNPC would work to reduce imports of petroleum products. However, it has become apparent that the refineries are not functioning, and the NNPC is seeking an additional $60 billion for expansion.
This is despite the fact that the government has failed to account for the initial $3 billion investment. Additionally, while President Tinubu celebrated the launch of the Dangote refinery, which has helped to increase local refining capacity, the government's decision to increase the price of petroleum products refined locally with a 5% tax to take effect in Jan 2026 will only exacerbate the suffering of Nigerians. With the multiple taxation, heightened borrowings, and increased prices, it begs the questions: How will Nigerians cope? When will Nigerians truly feel hope? When will the suffering be over?
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