It is no longer news that the Federal Government has distributed food items and cash to States as we watched the distributions across the country on social Media Spaces. This, the Federal Government had said are measures to cushion the effects of the removal of subsidy which is better described as the most feared, protected and celebrated cankerworm that feasted and ate so deep into the country’s Treasury over the years. I’m however bewildered that the items distributed plus the 5billion which States have only confirmed the receipt of only 2Billion isn’t commensurate to the ravaging and hard-biting hardship and hunger that the subsidy removal has meted on the masses. _Plateau State for instance:_ Being one Time big tin and columbite exporter but could neither alleviate nor divorce poverty in the State and currently has over 50.1% of poverty rate to mean more than half of it’s population are poor and cannot afford essential necessities also got 3000 bags of Rice like other poorer States of the Country. In the Federal Government’s self acclaimed magnanimity at this trying moment of our Nation’s history, only 3000 bags of Rice was given to Nigerian States including Plateau and in the Government’s meopic thinking, that was generous enough to reach the poorest of the poor who are greater in number than those who can actually afford basic needs in the State. Plateau State, the twelfth-largest Nigerian State with an area of 26,899 square kilometers and an estimated population of over 3.5Million people no doubt got the 3000 bags of Rice which if it was to be shared among half of the State’s population which is statistically proven to be poor, one will be left with questions such as; How many measures of Rice would each household have gotten and for how many days will each family feed on the so called meagre portions of the Palliatives❓ While I thumb up and still doff my hat for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, halfway, for taking such a bold step that should’ve since been taken to get Nigeria rid of the popular heartless and merciless cankerworm, there’s the need to fault him pitilessly on the strategies being employed to bring succour to the masses and the heartlessness therein the measures. *What is an insult ❓* A perfect answer to the above question is the content in the attached photograph to this text which is a portion of the palliative belonging to a household in Keffi Local Government of Nasarawa State. _Did I say a portion of one’s Palliatives?_ *Ofcourse, Yes !* It is unfathomable that Government officials who got politically empowered by the poorest of the poor will sit under a fully air-conditioned building that was built with tax payers hard-earned resources and, with their starched caftan/Agbada/Baban Rigas to decide that this is what a family should take home as Palliative to cushion the gross impacts of subsidy removal and, still return to their various mansions bought with looted resources, sleep comfortably without remorse to wake up the next day with *Renewed effrontery* and still decide for the masses, what direction to go. This is neither the first and I’m not convinced it’ll mark the last time that the Government will insult it’s citizens in this manner but because this is coming at a time that information at the disposal of the poorest of the poor contains the humongous sums, the powerful and highly favored Nigerian politicians allocated themselves at the instance of the subsidy removal, I can’t just resist the temptation of calling on authorities concerned to fear God and be considerate for once in the discharge of their official duties as it has become a notorious fact that the greediness and callousness of Government officials towards the wants and needs of the citizens remain endemic. Much more than the subsidy which is another Force behind Government’s insensitivity to the plight of the citizenry, heart-heartedness has eaten into the fabric of the Nigeria society. It has indeed become a national security issue and if this menace is not tackled effectively and with every sense of seriousness, it will eventually erode the Patience and tolerance of the Nigerian people, especially the youths and they know what that means. We all recall that before the inauguration of President Tinubu, Nigeria was already in a hopeless State as it was plunged into acute hunger and insecurity by his predecessor. Hopes were high and many still catapulted their hopes on the Eve of his inauguration only for their hopes to be dashed out completely with unguarded and reckless pronouncements *“the next morning“* that drove us to the bus stop we’re currently. Unknown to Nigerians, while they were counting down to a new government with a new sailor who’s campaign mantra promised *Renewed Hopes* from the *Next-Level* administration of President Buhari, little did they know that the difference between *Next-Level* and *Renewed Hope* was in the letters that make up the words/mantras and not policies. The administration that predated the Tinubu’s government was characterized by dishonesty and illegal behaviors especially by powerful people such as Government officials from the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature who cared less about the Nigeria populace but gave so much undeserving attention and care to themselves. Today we have another Government gradually appearing not to disappoint the criticisms of those who never supported the *false-hope* shrouded in a *two-worded-mantra* called *Renewed-Hope.* A study of some countries where sensitivity to life threatening issues is high and corruption is less prevalent, showed the presence of few important elements in the society, one of which can be summarised as _A CULTURE WHICH ABOMINATES INSENSITIVITY_ – A well-earthed and deliberate inculcation of a way of life where the majority of people in the society condemn and abhor cheating, injustice and other anti-social behaviours or condemnable acts in the corridor of power. A brief and substantial study and understanding of the Nigeria situation exposes the absence of the culture that frowns at insensitivity to matters that matter to us. Every right thinking Nigerian knows that there is the disgraceful absence of good and active conscience to properly handle the menace of greediness and corruption by our leaders and these inhuman behaviors by Government officials have further contributed in weakening existing weak institutions of government which cannot in our present State, sustain any serious ravishment on Government’s deficiencies. It is a famous adage that “Power is Transient” and I would love to say to those in authorities, particularly our policy makers and, or high ranking politicians that at this critical point of our Nation’s history, Nigerians are coerced to think that if Tinubu, together with the National Assembly members will not correct lots of the anomalies and negative impressions already printed in their hearts as a result of the subsidy removal defects and put things in order, Nigerians won’t contemplate forgetting completely, the future of their own God given country. _~Tubwot Joel Sunday_

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Subsidy and the Federal Government Palliatives: Outright Insult on the Sensitivity of Nigerians – Tubwot Joel Sunday