The president of Bauchi Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (BACCIMA), Hon Aminu Muhammad Danmaliki, has decried what he described as a deepening governance crisis in Nigeria, saying no honest citizen can pretend otherwise.
Danmaliki said that under the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the lived reality of ordinary Nigerians has deteriorated sharply rather than improved.
Speaking with journalists in Bauchi yesterday, he noted that since the Tinubu-led government assumed office, inflation has surged, fuel prices have skyrocketed, the naira has collapsed and the cost of food and transportation has become unbearable for many households.
According to him, while policies were introduced with promises of 'long-term gains,' no effective short-term relief mechanisms were put in place to cushion the effects on the poor. "Governance cannot be theory-driven while people are starving," he stated.
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On the issue of security, Danmaliki expressed concern that many Nigerians increasingly feel abandoned, especially with what he described as overreliance on foreign powers, particularly the United States, for intelligence and logistics.
"Foreign cooperation is normal, but outsourcing responsibility is not leadership. Citizens are right to ask: where is our sovereign security architecture?" he queried.
He further raised concerns over the perception that key economic functions such as taxation systems, fiscal reforms and advisory frameworks were being influenced or outsourced to foreign interests, including France.
"A government may consult globally, but it must decide locally, in line with national interest," he added.
Danmaliki identified what he described as the greatest failure of the current administration as the growing disconnect between policymakers and the suffering masses. "Leadership is not just about bold reforms; it is about timing, empathy, communication and protecting the vulnerable," he said.
He added that any government that fails to guarantee basic security, presides over widespread poverty without implementing cushioning measures, and fails to alleviate hardship without reducing it will inevitably face the judgment of history and the people.
"Nigeria is not failing because Nigerians are lazy or incapable. Nigeria is failing because leadership choices are disconnected from social reality. Criticism is not sabotage. Demanding accountability is not hatred," he added.
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