According to the report from the Sun News, Former Chief of Defence Staff, General Martin Luther Agwai (Rtd), has shared his perspectives on tackling the pressing issues of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly focusing on kidnapping, banditry, and the Boko Haram insurgency.
General Agwai, drawing on his extensive military experience, emphasized his comfort in discussing topics within his expertise, “I am always very good in talking about what I know. I spent 40 years of my life wearing military uniform.”
However, he expressed reservations about commenting on economic policies, “When you start talking about policies of… I don’t know the implication of this economic thing. For example, let me be very honest with you, when I hear them saying, ‘Oh, your economy is improving by 10 per cent or this, we are the largest economy in Africa,’ and then, I see so many people on the street with no food, nothing, and you say that the economy is booming, and this, you see, this is my problem.”
General Agwai highlighted the real-life challenges faced by ordinary Nigerians, particularly in the context of economic policies such as the removal of subsidies. “It will be very difficult for me to really come out and say whether it was a good policy to remove subsidy or not to remove subsidy. All I know is that it is bringing a very difficult life for people,” he noted.
He pointed to specific hardships, saying, “I was buying diesel. Whether you want it or not in Nigeria today, you may have to run on a generator. How much is diesel? How much is a litre of diesel? How much do you need to run for a day or in a place? Two, food. How much was a loaf of bread? How much is it today? How much was a bag of rice? How much is it today?”
General Agwai underscored the disconnect between reported economic growth and the lived experiences of many Nigerians: “For me, a common person who has not got a real, in-depth knowledge of this big, high-sounding thing about the economy or this or that, these are the indices I judge on my own. They may be wrong, but these are the facts. If our economy is improving and we are one of the largest economies and some people cannot eat a meal a day, then something needs to be done.”
His remarks highlight the importance of aligning economic policies with the realities of daily life for citizens, ensuring that reported growth translates into tangible improvements in living standards. General Agwai’s insights call for a more inclusive approach to economic and security policies, aimed at benefiting all Nigerians….Viêw _ More
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