Presidential Jet Saga And Tinubu’s ‘Animal Farm’ Economy

By Emeka Alex Duru*

In October of last year, former Vice President and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar criticised President Bola Tinubu’s economic management, describing the administration as incompetent and clueless. Part of Atiku’s outburst was motivated by the leaders’ extravagant lifestyles while Nigerians were impoverished.

Peeved by what citizens were going through amid the leaders’ flamboyance, Atiku accused Tinubu of running an ‘Animal Farm’ economy while Nigerians were becoming poorer. The analogy was profound and instructive.

Animal Farm, for example, is a fable, a satirical novel written by an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic named Eric Arthur Blair, who preferred to write under the pen name George Orwell. It tells the story of a group of farm animals who rebelled against their owner in the hopes of establishing a society in which everyone is equal, free, and happy.

The battle cry of the rebels was “All animals are equal.” However, once victory was achieved, the struggle was betrayed, and a dictatorship worse than anything they had previously experienced was unleashed on them, with some of the animals ruling over others.

The mantra evolved from “all animals are equal” to “all animals are equal, but some are more equal than others.” While the lesser animals were told to work harder, the privileged ones lived lavishly. The Farm ended up in a worse condition than it was before the revolt.

If you examine the Tinubu administration’s actions over the last year, particularly its selective favouritism of core loyalists while abandoning other citizens, you will notice similarities to Orwell’s Animal Farm.

Tinubu pledged at his inauguration on May 29, 2023, that he would be president for all, not just one section or group. But, only a year into the administration, Nigerians are seeing him for who he is. In his strategic appointments and key policies, the President is repositioning himself as a champion of Yoruba South West interests.

The economy has sunk even lower, and the cost of living has become prohibitively expensive. Nigerians used to scavenge the bins for food, but there are no more dumps to rummage.

The President’s insensitivity is most visible in his constant admonition to Nigerians to continue making sacrifices for the sake of the country, while elected and appointed leaders continue to live lavishly.

At the time Atiku used the Animal Farm analogy, the inflation rate was 26.72%, with food inflation estimated at 30.6%. The situation has deteriorated further. According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigerians are finding it more difficult to feed themselves, with food inflation rising to 40.66 per cent in May, up from 25.25 per cent in June 2023. The NBS also disclosed that headline inflation increased by 0.26 per cent to 33.95 per cent from 33.69 per cent in April.

Atiku had then observed, “Even as he (Tinubu) was calling on everyone to tighten their belts, he inaugurated the largest cabinet in Nigeria’s history and was set to plunge Nigeria deeper into debt.”

The trend continues, with the House of Representatives National Security and Intelligence Committee proposing the purchase of a new aircraft for President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima. The committee’s recommendation was contained in a report issued following an investigation into the status of the presidential air fleet aircraft.

However, Nigerians are not amused by the agenda. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in 2023, is one of those criticising the aircraft purchase this time. Obi described the move as unacceptable and a clear example of insensitivity to Nigerians’ suffering. He stated, “This demonstrates extreme insensitivity to citizens’ struggles.

With rising insecurity, poverty, hunger, and homelessness, this decision demonstrates the apparent disconnect between the government and the people. It is unacceptable, as the current state of affairs necessitates a more compassionate use of resources, with a focus on citizens’ well-being.

Bayo Onanuga, the President’s special adviser on information and strategy, responded, asking, “Does Peter Obi want the President dead? Is that what he wants? Does he want him to continue travelling in a rickety plane and dying like Malawi’s vice president and Iran’s president?”

These are serious issues that have implications for the country’s well-being. Nobody, of course, wants the President to die. It is also expected that the President, knowing the times and who he represents, will not watch his compatriots die while cruising around in luxury. It is a two-way street, a social contract of sorts.

At this point, everyone needs to think realistically and live within their means. Leadership is about making sacrifices. Former South African President Nelson Mandela stated at the Albert Luthuli Centenary Celebrations on April 25, 1998, that “real leaders must be willing to sacrifice everything for the freedom of their people.”

Allow Tinubu and his fellow leaders to be more prudent in managing the country’s limited resources. Projects that do not provide immediate and direct value should be discarded or put on hold. One example is the purchase of a presidential aircraft. Those who advocate for moderation do not mean harm to the President. They are his true friends, not hired hands like Onanuga, who only humour him with what they believe he wants to hear, not out of genuine concern, but to secure and maintain their jobs. This is an important point for Tinubu to remember.

Regardless of how the presidency tries to paint the picture, the story about Nigeria out there is not exciting. The New York Times, a leading American publication, published a feature story titled “Nigeria confronts its worst economic crisis in a generation” on June 11. The article highlighted Nigeria’s severe economic challenges.

“Pain is widespread. Unions are striking to protest monthly salaries of around $20. People die in stampedes, desperate for free rice sacks. The medium stated that hospitals are overrun with women suffering from spasms caused by calcium deficiencies.

The presidency dismissed the report as predetermined, reductionist, and derogatory, but the facts are clear: Nigerians are poor and hungry! This is not the time to mock citizens with a costly advertisement of intent to purchase a presidential jet. Stop making blue jokes that remind people of George Orwell’s Animal Farm.