THIS IS NOT A WAY TO LEAD A PEOPLE. Written by KEMKA S. IBEJI

It's severally too wrong from those saying that Peter Obi wouldn't have dared the reforms that Chief Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is attempting. The point is that the reforms are premature and malicious. They're malicious because the ruler is a tribalist and doesn't care about the rest of the country. He's on the Nigerian table to administer the Yorubas and nothing more or less.

The pure and clear knowledge is that Peter Obi would have prepared the ground and make it ripe for the reform such that it won't be like a punitive association where one man is seen clearing the table into his bag while others starve home. Those who are also building the economy of Lagos come from the East, West, North and South. Most times I think the recent leadership of Nigeria lack so much in ideology. They run our communities and society without a philosophy. It was Bertrand Russell who averred that "The man who has no tincture of philosophy goes through life imprisoned in the prejudices derived from common sense, from the habitual beliefs of his age or his nation, and from convictions which have grown up in his mind without the cooperation or consent of his deliberate reason". To this, my intellectual friend and mentor Prof. Godfrey Ozumba asserted that such is a dead man. Then it implies that if we as a society run without a tincture of philosophy, we're a dead society or community. What else do you want to hear?

What's my take, certain good destinations are not reached because of the route taken by journeymen. The president and his team lack the requisite tact to govern Nigeria. Just like the debacle of the subsidy removal where certain palliatives were supposed to be put in place before the brigandage of SUBSIDY IS GONE, he's back again to it by his janjaweed and ill conceived Tax Reform Bill.

Unfortunately, when we talk about palliatives, maybe because we have been ruled by the 'bambi-allah' people for too long, it all feels like it's all about giving out food crumbs, table fallouts and funny things to beggars. No!

Before the subsidy removal, the government would have considered having functional alternatives that will guarantee adequate or continuous supply of the products to the citizens. Such things as having a working refinery, or even giving licences to capable importers that would have ensured that there's competition and regular supply of petroleum products. This would have saved Nigeria from the economic collapse we're presently going through and from which we may not recover in a very long time, if we can recover at all. The presence of the refineries, the multiple supply chains and the engendered competition would have reduced, to insignificance, the effects of the subsidy removal and would have saved from the experience of the hyper and galloping inflation of the day.

For those who will want to say that this is easier said than done, I'll want them to revisit the bank upgrades by Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo while he was the Central Bank of Nigeria Governor. The country was afraid that there will be massive job loss and sorts. But when you see someone who knows what he or she is skilled in, you won't need binoculars. Over 90 banks in Nigeria put together weren't worth one bank in South Africa. But after the banking revolution in Nigeria by Soludo we has 25 solid banks that eventually ushered Nigeria into having multinationals. Our insurance sector picked up and businesses began to work and the country was birthed into a new era. Though the administration was unable to secure investors who crowded in because of the positives of that achievement, but the point is that there was a drastic change without a debilitating and woeful destruction of the minds and mentals of the people.

Again on this ill fated Tax Reform Bill, it's so clear that the country is so lopsided in revenue generation and what is the cause should have been the first thing to address. The policy of the government is, from the beginning, lopsided thereby giving out an inference in the revenue generation. We should be looking, first and foremost, at the Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) and the balancing of the economy. The western corridor which at the moment is feeding the country is our weakest link with the least contribution to the national GDP. This would have called for understanding and consideration before anything else. We're running on economic paradoxes and social ironies. This would have concerned the leadership first if they're knowledgeable enough. They clearly don't understand Nigeria; they merely know the southwest or put succinctly, they only know about Lagos and no where else in Nigeria. Knowing the people is key in leading them.

Furthermore, if the government of the day is objective and loves the country and not tilted towards sectionalism, they would have tickled and ignited, foundationally, the strength of each region. They would have consulted widely to bring everyone to the same mind and spirit and create avenues to strengthen those who will catch up by the way. But what do we see playing out?

Mr. President with his band of 'Boy oh yeah' is acting like a thief who is in a hurry to take his bounty home in the wee hours for the relish of being unseen or uncaught. This is classic of a leader who doesn't love those he leads.

This is not a way to lead a people. But who do we blame?