Opinion
Dark Phases In Human History
This write-up was motivated by a question from a postgraduate student: “Can you please tell us how the cult phenomenon originated?” Originally cults were secret protectionist movements meant to protect and shield their members from intolerant and tyrannical authorities and guard the ideas and knowledge which they possessed. Such serious-minded people did not want to be arrested and burnt alive, neither would they want to recant and disown their beliefs, knowledge and convictions. They believed that pearls are not meant for swine. They often remained silent.
Martin Luther (1458 -1548), a strong-minded Augustinian friar who became leader of the German Reformation, did not want to recant his beliefs and convictions. Those who shared secretly in his beliefs protected him from tyrannical authorities that sought to destroy him and what he believed in. Such groups, including some highly placed persons, who believe in his ideas and provided protection for him would have been called cult members today.
There were Freemasons who were regarded by fanatical masses as secret cultists, even though Freemasonry is devoted to lofty ideals of human up building. For some political reasons some of the Guilds went underground, believing that noble up building programmes must not be taken over by state authorities who are after power and wealth.
State Intelligence and secret services evolved from Alguazil of the Roman Catholic Inquisition. The Alguazil, like the Jesuits, were a secret military arm of the church. Those who controlled religion also had strong control on the state. Defenders of the church and state and what they stood for, would fish out and deal ruthlessly with “enemies” who sought to spread heretic and anti-establishment ideas. Such enemies of faith or state were not criminals but those who did not share in the established beliefs and doctrines of the church.
The Druids and Shamans of ancient and primitive religions possessed and applied some unusual powers which some political authorities sought to destroy. Currently in the West Indies there are Voodoo masters whose powers confound Western Science and technology ; neither would they let an intruder into their cult. Such secret powers arose in response to the dark era of slavery.
Judaism had two sects regarded as cult groups – the Essene and the Narazene. Their members were not taken seriously. When some authorities felt that these groups exhibited certain knowledge away from prevailing dogmas, they were hunted and persecuted and taken before the court or Sanhedrin. Some groups went underground and developed what was known as the Qbl or Kaballah.
From the Italian Mafia, to Badoo Nigeriana, cult system degenerated into criminal and fetish affairs with unwholesome motives. Money-bags, drug cartels, smugglers etc bonded into oath-taking gangster groups who sought to protect their activities and keep them secret. They would hunt and destroy intruders and enemies to ensure that their secrets remain secret.
Top military and political leaders, including religious giants, are not free from belonging to some Brotherhood, associations and exclusive clubs that they would frown to be called cults. What are exclusive and clandestine associations after? From shocking and weird practices, to ritual murder and use of human parts for unknown purposes, the cult phenomenon represents dark phrases in the history of various nations.
Originally, cult groups sought to delve into some mysteries of life and also to guard and protect themselves and the knowledge at their disposal from desecration. Some intruders dabbled into dark realms and absorbed what is really dangerous to them and others. In the dark realms of errors, illusions appear alluring and fascinating and such intruders get trapped and engulfed in such realms of the psychic world. They would hardly agree to be told the truth.
Without sounding alarmist, patrons of the psychic world get fascinated by vision, miracles, wonders and hallucination. Frankly, the way to understand the apparent mysteries of life is through a thorough knowledge of the laws working in creation, which are not difficult to know. Those who dabble into such sublime knowledge via the psychic world where errors appear sublime and curious would often experience what had kept humanity in darkness over the ages. Apart from being secret and protectionist groups, cults seek to follow a broad but wrong way to explore the issues of life. There are many trapped in the realm of illusion than we can imagine.
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
Bright Amirize
From all indications, Nigeria possesses enough human and material resources to become a true economic powerhouse in Africa. According to the National Population Commission (NPC, 2023), the country’s population has grown steadily within the last decade, presently standing at about 220 million people—mostly young, vibrant, and innovative. Nigeria also remains the sixth-largest oil producer in the world, with enormous reserves of gas, fertile agricultural land, and human capital.
Yet, despite this enormous potential, the country continues to grapple with underdevelopment, poverty, unemployment, and insecurity. Recent data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS, 2023) show that about 129 million Nigerians currently live below the poverty line. Most families can no longer afford basic necessities, even as the government continues to project a rosy economic picture.
The Subsidy Question
The removal of fuel subsidy in 2023 by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been one of the most controversial policy decisions in Nigeria’s recent history. According to the president, subsidy removal was designed to reduce fiscal burden, unify the foreign exchange rate, attract investment, curb inflation, and discourage excessive government borrowing.
While these objectives are theoretically sound, the reality for ordinary Nigerians has been severe hardship. Fuel prices more than tripled, transportation costs surged, and food inflation—already high—rose above 30% (NBS, 2023). The World Bank (2023) estimates that an additional 7.1 million Nigerians were pushed into poverty after subsidy removal.
A Critical Economic View
As an economist, I argue that the problem was not subsidy removal itself—which was inevitable—but the timing, sequencing, and structural gaps in Nigeria’s implementation.
- Structural Miscalculation
Nigeria’s four state-owned refineries remain nonfunctional. By removing subsidies without local refining capacity, the government exposed the economy to import-price pass-through effects—where global oil price shocks translate directly into domestic inflation. This was not just a timing issue but a fundamental policy miscalculation.
- Neglect of Social Safety Nets
Countries like Indonesia (2005) and Ghana (2005) removed subsidies successfully only after introducing cash transfers, transport vouchers, and food subsidies for the poor (World Bank, 2005). Nigeria, however, implemented removal abruptly, shifting the fiscal burden directly onto households without protection.
- Failure to Secure Food and Energy Alternatives
Fuel subsidy removal amplified existing weaknesses in agriculture and energy. Instead of sequencing reforms, government left Nigerians without refinery capacity, renewable energy alternatives, or mechanized agricultural productivity—all of which could have cushioned the shock.
Political and Public Concerns
Prominent leaders have echoed these concerns. Mr. Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, described the subsidy removal as “good but wrongly timed.” Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party also faulted the government’s hasty approach. Human rights activists like Obodoekwe Stive stressed that refineries should have been made functional first, to reduce the suffering of citizens.
This is not just political rhetoric—it reflects a widespread economic reality. When inflation climbs above 30%, when purchasing power collapses, and when households cannot meet basic needs, the promise of reform becomes overshadowed by social pain.
Broader Implications
The consequences of this policy are multidimensional:
- Inflationary Pressures – Food inflation above 30% has made nutrition unaffordable for many households.
- Rising Poverty – 7.1 million Nigerians have been newly pushed into poverty (World Bank, 2023).
- Middle-Class Erosion – Rising transport, rent, and healthcare costs are squeezing household incomes.
- Debt Concerns – Despite promises, government borrowing has continued, raising sustainability questions.
- Public Distrust – When government promises savings but citizens feel only pain, trust in leadership erodes.
In effect, subsidy removal without structural readiness has widened inequality and eroded social stability.
Missed Opportunities
Nigeria’s leaders had the chance to approach subsidy removal differently:
- Refinery Rehabilitation – Ensuring local refining to reduce exposure to global oil price shocks.
- Renewable Energy Investment – Diversifying energy through solar, hydro, and wind to reduce reliance on imported petroleum.
- Agricultural Productivity – Mechanization, irrigation, and smallholder financing could have boosted food supply and stabilized prices.
- Social Safety Nets – Conditional cash transfers, food vouchers, and transport subsidies could have protected the most vulnerable.
Instead, reform came abruptly, leaving citizens to absorb all the pain while waiting for theoretical long-term benefits.
Conclusion: Reform With a Human Face
Fuel subsidy removal was inevitable, but Nigeria’s approach has worsened hardship for millions. True reform must go beyond fiscal savings to protect citizens.
Economic policy is not judged only by its efficiency but by its humanity. A well-sequenced reform could have balanced fiscal responsibility with equity, ensuring that ordinary Nigerians were not crushed under the weight of sudden change.
Nigeria has the resources, population, and resilience to lead Africa’s economy. But leadership requires foresight. It requires policies that are inclusive, humane, and strategically sequenced.
Reform without equity is displacement of poverty, not development. If Nigeria truly seeks progress, its policies must wear a human face.
References
- National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). (2023). Poverty and Inequality Report. Abuja.
- National Population Commission (NPC). (2023). Population Estimates. Abuja.
- World Bank. (2023). Nigeria Development Update. Washington, DC.
- World Bank. (2005). Fuel Subsidy Reforms: Lessons from Indonesia and Ghana. Washington, DC.
- OPEC. (2023). Annual Statistical Bulletin. Vienna.
By: Amarachi Amaugo