Robert Harold Schuller’s “Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do” was a global phenomenon and inarguably an all-time bestseller, cutting across the iron veil of race, religion and cultures. It resonates with all human spectrums and captures the inevitability of man’s struggles and desires to be unshackled from poverty, deprivation and indignity sponsored by economic and social hardship. From its inspirational framings to the aspirational possibilities, the content keeps the head of any drowning man above the water and provides the navigational compass for shore-bound initiates.

Has President Bola Ahmed Tinubu foisted on Nigerians tough times, untold hardship and sufferings, given the weight of public outcry, discontentment and protests across the country? Mr Tinubu touted as the most prepared politician for the exalted position in the country, was confronted with the dilemma of either flowing with the tides of a broken economy since 1960 or taking bold steps to recover the nation through tough decisions.

Nigeria, always thrown into tough times from one political hegemony to the other, is stuck in a vicious cycle with the end of the tunnel dimmer than ever.
From the instability and recklessness of the first republican politicians, the nation degenerated into a dire strait occasioned by godless ambition to control the centre despite the seeming successes each region posted. While the military posted modest achievements under Gowon, the foundation of corruption was laid before 1979.
Again, the nation was dragged to the dark days by 1983 when Muhammadu Buhari and his military colleagues seized power. The agonising ‘Austerity Measures’ forced down the throat of Nigerians, the purposeless leadership of that regime, and the IMF-inspired ‘Structural Adjustment Programme’ (SAP) of Ibrahim Babangida’s era eroded any possibility of a rescued nation, while Abacha’s iron fist and draconic maladministration further deepened the woes of the country.

Nigeria plunged further under the Fourth Republic and came to a head under Buhari’s second coming, where the nation stands destroyed today. Like never in our history, Nigeria lost its bearing. From the never-before-experienced widespread insecurity manifesting in ethnic cleansing, kidnap for ransom, insurgency and terrorism to the plunder of the national treasury, the consequences are far beyond the short-term intervention efforts of the current administration, even as it has not shown sufficient rigour.
True, it is impractical to heap the entire blame on this president.

Without holding forth for this administration, Nigeria was due for the tough decisions of subsidy removal and naira float but that needed to be done with intentional shock absorbing mechanisms. Hence, implementing those policies and the attendant backlash needs to be robustly interrogated. Painfully, the unfolding eco-medical prognosis and medications thrown at the problem lack clear direction and efficacy.

So, here we are in a country where tough times never lag. It’s been an endless downward slope and sham promises orchestrated to hoodwink gullible Nigerians. From 2015 till date, the nation has fallen flat on its face on all economic fronts, and the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda looks stronger in print than in reality.
The way out of the woods stares at us in the face, and we must answer the tough questions.

Show me one decent country in the world where a thriving black market for forex competes with the official market, yet there was a naira float! Can a country escape food shortage where insecurity destroys agriculture? If agriculture fails, can food inflation (34.41%) be wished away? Fuel subsidy was removed and Nigerians hailed the government. But, was the problem with the subsidy or the criminal maladministration of it? We cannot tame the thieves so the poor and downtrodden would pay for government’s abdication of its responsibilities.

Are the IMF/World Bank policies the problems or the aged-long distortions and systemic failures fostered by our collective value failings and inability to stand up to leaders in the last 64 years? It is one thing to have the courage to do the right thing, but it is another kettle of fish to know how to achieve results!

In conclusion, Robert Schuller affirms that all it takes is one idea to solve impossible problems, and it is glaring that the president and his team grope for that joker without much success yet.