Opinion
Cycles Of Expiration
The common idiom that no condition is permanent in life, is a wise and correct expression of an atomic principle known as Stellar Activity Cycle (SAC). Everything composed of matter has a duration or time of expiration, in line with atomic cyclicity. Atom is defined as the smallest part of element which can exist alone or combine with other substances to form molecules. Molecule is the smallest unit into which any substance can be divided without losing its own chemical nature which usually consists of two or more atoms.
The average man rarely knows the mechanism, affinities, repulsions and laws by which the world of matter is governed and regulated. Yet there are several observable features of Nature which give us some insight into the working of Natural Laws. One of such observable features is that human life goes in cycles, with regard to the development, maturity and changes which the body undergoes. All the cells which constitute the body are constantly replaced such that in cycles of seven years old cells are changed or renewed.
The mechanism of SAC has to do with the fact that the physical body as well as the physical human environment are subject to certain regulatory influences coming from external sources. Such influences do not operate arbitrarily but are so well regulated and coordinated that no injustice ever arises. In the reciprocal working of external influences, human free will or volition serves as a steering element, thus ruling out any injustice. We choose!
Like the process of sowing and reaping, every beginning must also have an ending in such a way that the closing of every cycle brings the harvest accruing from previous activity. In-between the beginning and ending of every cycle, there is usually a time of grace, providing an opportunity to correct imbalances along the line. The awareness should grow stronger in every one that the cycle of cause and effect is as real in the sowing and reaping of seeds or crops, as in every other human activity. Human activities also include everything that comes under personal volition, whether expressed in visible engagements or invisible thoughts.
The concept of the cycles of expiration has to do with the fact that grace and opportunities are provided for everyone to create equilibrium whenever personal imbalances exist, arising from numerous personal follies and lapses. A critical study of the rise and fall of various nations in human history would always confirm the truth that corrupt practices, which include pride and vanity, always account for such decline. Follies, lapses and imbalances can always be corrected where the leadership of nations recognise the operations of the cycles of expiration. Obtuseness deadens perception.
There are usually distant, early warning signs before catastrophes and disasters become threatening to human existence. From minor situations and unions, to large-scale ones, crises which lead to total break-down, usually serve warning notices, but at the expiration of such warning signals, then decline process begins. What it takes to avert and tame threatening situations includes being alert inwardly to be able to recognise brewing storms and having the courage to address them, not cover them!
What is known as the apocalypse in the scriptures presents in very obscure manner the operations of the cycles of expiration, using the opening of seals and various “horse men” as harbingers of calamities. Unfortunately obtuse humanity has been unable to unravel that symbolic message, as a result of which we continue to ignore serious warning signs, much less, to act on them. Neither are many people aware of what it is to say that humanity is currently standing in a World Judgment.
While many self-serving organisations worldwide would continue to confuse the masses, it is needful that every individual should make serious personal effort to understand what the cycles of expiration means. It would also be needful to understand the mechanism and patterns of the process, one of which is that the greatest and most glib talkers win the day and run the affairs of men. One of the easily observable evidence of an expiring era is the deadly hustling for power and the disputation that goes with the process. What gives impetus to the process remains obscure.
The few people privileged to have some faint glimpse into the signs of the end-time would tell us that dancers and players in the scenes of action would rarely know when the ovation is over. This obtuseness would lead to what is known idiomatically as macabre dance, or the last dance of death or mental derangement. Long ago, Nigeria, featuring as part of the heart of Africa, was pointed out as a flash point where Kings of Edom would reign before the dawn of a new era. We were told that men of raw power and wit will control the day.
The concept of the cycle of expiration also include some predictions about drastic reduction of global population resulting from acts of madness and attendant cleansing called forth thereby. It was fore-told that humanity will witness the most repulsive excrescences of “an intellectual culture, where there would be growth of knowledge, but with a diminution of conscience”. Kings of Edom would include “crowned ruffians” who would dance in public arena in celebration of their valour.
Unfortunately, records of ancient predictions of the various cycles of expiration became so sadly mutilated and distorted that what is available now hardly portrays the detailed truth. For example, since the dreadful events of the 9/11/2001 World Trade Centre/Pentagon terrorist attack in USA, several records has emerged to tell us what to expect in the years to come. While a global cleansing is a necessity, the mechanism of the process has been presented in terms too technical for an average person to understand. For example, Voyagers (The Secret of Amenti) Volumes 1 and II are too technical and obtuse.
What is important for the reader to note seriously is that things cannot continue the way they are currently, for too long. How the drastic changes will come about would be difficult to say, but apart from physical events, major changes, adjustments and adaptations will take place in the human brains. Expiration of empires and eras usually goes along with sweeping changes and re-alignments, at the end of which would emerge a period of sanity.
By: Bright Amirize
Dr Amirize is a retired lecturer, Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.
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