In a tongue-in-cheek appeal, Nobel laureate Professor Wole Soyinka has reached out to former President Goodluck Jonathan, begging him to share the secrets of his administration’s economic magic.
Soyinka’s plea comes as Nigerians struggle to make ends meet, with prices of essential commodities skyrocketing to unprecedented levels.
“GEJ, please tell us,” Soyinka implores, “how you managed to pay fuel subsidies and still sell petrol at N86 per liter. We want to know the secret formula that made it possible for a bag of rice to cost N8,000 when your administration supposedly controlled our borders.”
Soyinka’s questions are laced with sarcasm, as he asks GEJ to reveal how his administration built 17 federal universities in 17 states, and Almajiri schools in all Northern local governments, seemingly overnight. He also wants to know the magic behind maintaining a stable exchange rate of $1 = N165 for four years, and how Nigeria’s economy became the largest in Africa under his leadership.
The questions are a scathing commentary on the current state of affairs, where Nigerians are grappling with soaring prices and economic hardship. Soyinka’s appeal is a veiled critique of the present administration, implying that the current leadership has failed to deliver on its promises of economic prosperity.
“GEJ, we need answers,” Soyinka says, with a hint of desperation. “How did you do it? What was your secret? We want to learn from your experience and perhaps, just perhaps, we can find a way to make our lives a little more affordable.”
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