2020: A Year Like No Other!

It was a year many hoped will bring about major positive turnarounds for the country. There were projections that with various reforms agenda, policies, development plans and programmes claimed by the authorities to have been going on for decades, year 2020 will see Nigeria becoming one of the 20 largest economies in the world, able to consolidate its leadership role in Africa and establish itself as a significant player in the global economic and political arena.
But all the expectations and hopes seem not to have been met owing to several challenging circumstances, some of which are not peculiar to the country.
Kidnapping/Killing:
On January 13, 2020, four seminarians of Good Shepherd Seminary in Kaduna State were abducted from the school. While three of them were eventually released, the fourth, Michael Nnadi, was found dead three weeks later.
On January 24, the wife of Philip Ataga, a Kaduna –based medical doctor and her two children were kidnapped in their residence at Juji, near Sabo Tasa Chikun LGA of the state. After seven days in captivity, Mrs Ataga was killed by her captors allegedly for failure of her family to meet the demand of N150 million for the woman and the children.
COVID-19: On February 27, the Federal Ministry of Health confirmed the index case of coronavirus (COVID-19) in the country. An Italian citizen who returned from Milan, Italy to Lagos became the first case to be reported in Nigeria since the beginning of the outbreak in China in January.
Consequently, the federal government and the various state governments swung into action to ensure that the outbreak was controlled and contained. On the federal level, a 12-member Presidential Task Force, headed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, was set up by President Muhammadu Buhari to coordinate activities aimed at fighting the scourge in Nigeria.
The task force and the state governors are said to have done well in controlling and containing the spread of the virus though the country lost many people to the disease including the late Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari. The about six months lockdown imposed on the nation as a way of curtailing the spread of the disease took a toll on the people, more so, as there were stories of uneven distribution of the palliative items meant to cushion the effect of the lockdown.
ASUU Strike: In March, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) embarked on a strike to push for more funding for public universities, renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement among other demands. The strike which paralyzed academic activities in the universities for over nine months was eventually suspended on Wednesday, December 23rd with a warning from the university teachers that they would not hesitate to return to strike without notice should the government fail to maintain its own end of the agreement reached with the union.
Royal Rumble:
In March, the former Emir of Kano, Lamido Sanusi was dethroned and exiled to Nasarawa State by the Kano State Government. To replace him, the Emir of Bichi, Aminu Ado Bayero, was appointed by the state government as the 15th Emir of Kano.

Politics:
Court Sacks Oshiomhole As Apc Chairman: Few days to Edo State election, the Court of Appeal upheld the suspension of Adams Oshiomhole as the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC)
PDP Wins Edo Election: The Edo State gubernatorial election which held on September 19, 2020, saw the emergence of the incumbent governor, Godwin Obaseki, who decamped from APC to PDP as the winner. By that, Edo State became a PDP state.
APC Retains Power In Ondo: The keenly contested October 9 gubernatorial election in Ondo was won by the incumbent governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, of the APC. By that victory, APC is said to be the only party to have governed beyond eight years in the state. Both Edo and Ondo elections were said to be largely free and fair. INEC was commended for an improvement on the conduct of relatively credible elections.
Petrol Price/ Electricity Tariff Increase:
On September 4, a new petrol pump price of N160 per litre was announced. That was not to last for so long as the price was hiked to N168 per litre in less than two months. However, following series of meetings with labour leaders who kicked against the increment, the federal government reduced the pump price to N162.44 per litre with effect from December 14, 2020.
Similarly, in October, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) slammed Nigerians with a sharp increase in electricity tariff, which raised serious outcry and resentment.
#EndSARS Protest: On October 8, some Nigerian youths across the country took to the streets to protest and speak up against police brutality, injustice, corruption, inept and rudderless leadership in the country. The protest tagged #EndSARS was mainly targeted at the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Police but other demands including justice for the families of victims of police brutality and other five core demands were also canvassed. The protest adjudged by many as the most peaceful and best organized in recent time unfortunately went bizarre following the shooting and alleged killing of some protesters by uniformed men at Lekki toll gate, Lagos State, on October 20.
The true story of the killings is still sketchy as Lagos State Government, the Military and the protesters continue to blame one another.
The two weeks protest was subsequently hijacked by some hoodlums who destroyed and vandalized many private and public properties. All warehouses containing COVID-19 palliatives were wrecked. Some of the results of the protest, however, were the disbandment of SARS by the Inspector General of Police and the setting up of another unit, the Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) to take up the duties of SARS. Reformation of the Police was also promised.
Independence Celebration:
Amid COVID-19 economic woes, the nation marked her 60th Independence with the president calling for national healing and stronger unity. According to the federal government, the 60th Independence anniversary celebration would be observed for a whole year, ending September 30th, 2021.
INEC Chairman’s Reappointment: President Buhari in October reappointed the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for another five-year term. Following the Senate’s confirmation of the appointment on December 1,Yakubu became the first person to serve as INEC chairman for two terms.
On November 28, suspected terrorists attacked a farming community in Zabarmari, Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, killing about 43 rice farmers.
There were other cases of kidnapping, killings as insecurity remained a top challenge for the country. Series of calls were made by many Nigerians, including the federal lawmakers for the sacking of the service chiefs who they said are now bereft of ideas on how to handle the increasing security problems in the country but the president was adamant on keeping them in office. The lawmakers invited the president for a briefing over the insecurity issues in the country but that was not to be as the president made an eleventh-hour U-turn.
On December 11, over 300 students of Government Science Secondary School Kankara, Katsina State, were abducted from their institution. Fortunately, all the kidnapped boys were freed from where they were being held in Zamfara State on December 17.
Border Reopening:
On December 16, the federal government announced the reopening of four land border crossing points with the assurance to reopen the remaining crossings on December 31. Government had closed the borders in August 2019 due to concerns over smuggling.
Another Recession:
As COVID-19 continued to bite, Nigeria’s economy sunk into another recession, making it the second recession in less than five years.
Flood:
Like in the previous years, flood was a big issue in 2020. Many communities in the coastal areas were ravaged by flood. Farmlands, crops and valuable properties were destroyed with members of the affected communities constantly crying out for aid from government which most of the time was slow to come, if at all.
In all, it was a year full of many ups and downs which made life difficult for many people. Nigerians only wish that 2021 will bring better tidings.

By: Calista Ezeaku