Nigerians are upset about how poorly fuel is handled and the cash-swap crisis.

LAGOS – Some Nigerians who spoke to Sunday Independent about their harrowing experiences with the ongoing fuel and currency swap crises described the federal government’s, the oil industry’s operators, the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN), and commercial banks’ response to the state of chaos as disheartening.

The Federal Government’s handling of the ongoing fuel shortage and the currency swap disruptions, according to one of the observers, Dr. Francis Ujunwa Simeon, a cleric and public affairs commentator, is a reflection of its failed status.

“The security and welfare of the people shall be the primary purpose of government,” he said, quoting the Nigerian Constitution.

Over the years, the government has not been able to ensure the security of citizens’ lives and property. Under the watch of a president who is a retired general, kidnapping, banditry, insurgency, unidentified gunmen, and ritual murderers are still commonplace all over the nation.

“The government has not handled the fuel and currency swap services well, despite the fact that they are essential to the citizens’ welfare and existential well-being.

“As a result, the severe hardship and hunger in the country can only be compared to what exists during a time of war. People cannot access their money to buy necessary items like food and medicine.

“Only God knows how many people must have perished due to the financial crisis. The situation demonstrates the government’s ignorance, incapacity, incompetence, and irresponsibility in providing essential services.

Having failed in every endeavor, the APC as a party cannot be trusted to hold onto power as a result of this abject failure. It no longer markets itself.
Theologian Professor Godwin Jireh responded, saying: “It is a sad commentary that an oil-producing country with such enormous capacity and stupendous endowment as Nigeria is entangled in the web of perpetual fuel scarcity.

And to make matters worse, it is ostensibly scandalous that the executive president of the Giant of Africa is serving as the minister of petroleum resources while Nigerians waste money and time at gas stations in search of premium motor spirit (petrol), which has turned into a luxury good.

“Even the Central Bank of Nigeria’s recent redesign of some Naira notes, which ordinarily should be a strategic monetary policy of the Federal Government, has turned out to be a pain in the neck for many Nigerians, largely because of the poorly managed current currency swap.

The APC-led government should finally take drastic action to address this pressing issue before the current pockets of protest in some States spread across all of Nigeria and become a threat to the conduct of the Presidential election, which is scheduled to take place in about two weeks, because of the unforeseen hardships the common masses are facing in attempting to access the new notes.

“The current fuel shortage and currency swap challenge in our country today is as a result of leadership failure,” said Dr. Kanayo Success Uchime, a public affairs analyst. The government has failed the people whose interests it is supposed to protect.

“What we are seeing in Nigeria right now is unimaginable in any civilized society. It is regrettable for the nation. Nigeria has become a source of humor for other countries.

“The APC’s current administration has destroyed the economy. We are currently experiencing this in the country as a result of their abject failure to manage the economy of the country.

“The way the government is handling the entire situation has Nigerians dissatisfied. A government with direction and focus should be able to articulate the best course of action in this challenging situation.

“This clearly demonstrates the lack of vision and direction of our government. Our so-called leaders don’t care about the people they’re supposed to be leading; they only care about themselves.

Chief of the Nigerian Brainbox Farmers’ Association, Chibuisi Nwosu, emphasized that people who are wise, intelligent, and perceptive would prefer to hold off on sharing their opinions on the perplexing state of our country at the moment.

“The current fuel shortage and currency swap disturbances in the nation have yet to come to a conclusion. Even the blind and the deaf can see clearly that we are carelessly speeding toward insanity. Riots, arson, and premeditated murders will undoubtedly mark these trying times unless they are cut short, as is clear from all visible indicators.

“I don’t feel embarrassed or afraid to say no to this question. Since the current national problems are being addressed — or, I might as well say, left unaddressed — in a rough-shod, flip-flop, and haphazard manner, no rational person in their right mind would give the federal government in power a passing grade.

Yes, the problems are being tacitly ignored; otherwise, why would rational people strip off inside banking halls to vent their terrible resentments?

Julius Adegunna asserted on his own that the cash swap disturbances and the fuel shortage are both government- and self-inflicted problems, and that Buhari is to blame for presiding over an ineffective and inconsistent administration.

“The people take advantage of the government’s ignorance and the lawless environment in place,” he said. How is it possible to be content with a confused and aimless leadership?