Opinion
Recognising Symbolic Atonements
Events and personal experiences which we encounter daily convey more meanings than the explanations that we generally attach to them. A number of people who look quite healthy, normal and highly esteemed in society often have some illnesses and other burdens which are asymptomatic; meaning that the inside rarely shows on the outside. Events occur which can be quite inexplicable, just as individuals can have encounters which can be perplexing. Truly, there is no art to find the mind’s construction on the face.
We are being instructed and educated daily by the numerous events and personal experiences which we encounter. But obtuse humanity attaches little or no deeper significance to symbiotic nature of the subtle messages of events and experiences. We do not need prophets to tell us that we pay debts and make atonements daily without knowing that we are doing so. Atonement is defined as something you do to show that you are sorry for having done something wrong. Penance is a more familiar word.
Obviously, no one is free from some wrong doing of different nature and degrees, despite superficial sanctimony. Happily, everyone is endowed with the means of recognizing when and where we err, as well as an inner longing to atone for such errors.
Left alone, every man is a judge for himself, even though some people are more recalcitrant than others. Events and experiences play the roles of forcing every one to be awake and learn lessons daily.
Hard and difficult times which everybody is passing through currently, a situation which is not peculiar to Nigeria alone, provide numerous opportunities for positive changes to take place.
Left alone, human beings have the tendency and proclivity to remain docile and avoid costs, but cherish the easy comfort of lethargy. Thus, hard times and suffering have the possibility of bringing some people to embrace a change by force. Despite the complaints and grumblings that people make daily, there is currently a wind of change blowing across the globe. It brings a loosening effect.
Therefore, one of the symbolic meanings of what Nigerians are passing through currently is presence of a stimulating pressure for a forced awakening. Religious pundits who talk about the “sound of trumpet” actually mean the stimulating pressure that can awaken those in a state of lethargy and slumber. In our myopia and conceit we have come to regard money changing hands in dark deals as what constitutes corruption.
Truly, corruption is a symbolic name for an advanced stage of inner decay of human beings, whereby values and perceptions become narrowed and circumscribed. It is a human condition that is rightly captured by Oliver Smith as follows: “I ll fares that land, to a hastening ill, a prey, where wealth accumulates but men decay”.
Let myopic people see corruption from the superficial angle, but let those with advanced consciousness see it as symbolized in events and experience that we encounter daily. Wise people do not sit and talk about their agonies but rise up and do what is needful, there are individual Nigerians making such efforts in their private life, in spite of the stifling and suffocating global experiences.
There are those who may think that coming out of self-created difficulties, debts and burdens is an easy task. Hard times force us to recognize that there is a principle of personal responsibility whereby everyone bears the task of atoning for personal lapses and wrongs. Those who make such efforts with diligence discover that there is an opportunity or a grace which can make light the heavy burdens which individuals bear.
In serious studies of psychology there is what is known as the law of Reversed Effort which stipulates that things done with ill motives, with underlying fear and a troubled conscience, usually turn out ill. Similarly, there is an invincible power in human volition capable of turning conditions around for the better, via the grace and opportunity which atonement can provide.
Therefore, for an individual applying the power of volition toward the erasure of personal blemish, there is hardly any debt or burden too hard to atone for. However, the initiative must come from the individual, possibly facilitated by hard and bitter experiences.
Atonement or penance comes about when an individual makes conscious and diligent efforts towards personal ennoblement, which derives more from accurate knowledge of the laws governing life.
Superficial sanctimony or piety would not be of any value in such a project, rather, a deeply-felt change manifests in deep inner feeling or empathy towards others. The more such state of awareness grows in an individual, the more such a person is protected from the currents of evil effects.
Obviously, pending past wrongs hanging on the individual would not be obliterated, there would be some amelioration of the results arising there from. This is where the mechanism of symbolic atonement comes into play. Ordinarily in human experience, a debtor who is diligent and seen to be engaged in humanitarian activities would draw greater sympathy from his creditor than the one who is recalcitrant and profligate.
The voluntary donation of blood to save the life of the child of poor parents can be a symbolic atonement for an imminent penalty that would have hit the blood donor. Thus, voluntary humanitarian activities and services rendered out of love for suffering persons can be pre-emptive shields that can knock out pending debts and guilts. On the other hand, those who add more loads to already over-burdened humanity, do greater harms to themselves.
Wise people see the need to be simple, inwardly alert towards the plight of others and make efforts to rid themselves of excess luggage.
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer at the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
By: 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
