Nigerians need relief, not lectures, CHRICED tells Ben Murray-Bruce

Stanley Ihedigbo

There comes a moment in the life of every nation when truth must be spoken without trembling; when citizens must rise above the fog of elite narratives and insist on confronting reality as it is lived by ordinary people—not as it is presented in policy speeches, political commentaries and comfortable boardrooms.

For Nigeria, that moment is now.

The intervention by Ben Murray-Bruce on his proposed “Mass Transit Policy” raises important questions about public transportation, the responsibilities of state governments and the need to make movement more affordable for Nigerians.

According to the Executive Director, Resource Centre for Human Rights & Civic Education (CHRICED), Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, his argument also requires a serious response because it risks treating the symptoms of Nigeria’s economic crisis while avoiding one of its most consequential causes: the manner in which fuel subsidy was removed and the devastating consequences that followed.

Ben Murray-Bruce says he wants to “start with the thing nobody wants to say.”

Zikirullahi said, indeed, there is something Nigerians have been saying repeatedly, loudly and painfully.

‘The real issue is that the removal of fuel subsidy, as implemented, has dramatically increased the cost of transportation, food, production and virtually every aspect of daily life.

‘The question is not whether Nigeria needed to reform its petroleum subsidy regime. The question is whether such a monumental economic policy should have been implemented without adequate consultation, preparation, credible social protection and a comprehensive mechanism to protect millions of vulnerable Nigerians from the inevitable shock, ” he stressed.

For millions of Nigerians, the answer is painfully clear.

They are hurting.

He further said that the trader who now spends a significant portion of her income transporting goods to the market is hurting.

“The civil servant who spends a large part of his salary commuting to work is hurting. The student who struggles to afford transportation to school is hurting. The farmer who must pay more to transport produce from the farm to the market is hurting.

‘The unemployed graduate is hurting.
The pensioner is hurting.
The low-income worker is hurting.
The ordinary Nigerian family is hurting.
The Myth of Presidential Courage
Ben Murray-Bruce praises President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for having the courage to “do the hard thing.”

“But courage in public policy should not be measured merely by the speed or boldness with which a government announces a difficult policy.

“True leadership is measured by the quality of preparation, the protection of citizens, the transparency of implementation and the ability of government to absorb the consequences of its decisions.

“What is courage without consultation?
What is reform without a comprehensive implementation plan?
What is economic transformation without adequate protection for those who will bear the immediate burden?

“A government may possess the authority to make a policy decision, but authority alone does not make a policy socially just.
The removal of subsidy was presented as a difficult but necessary reform. Yet Nigerians have every right to ask what became of the expected benefits and how much of those benefits have translated into tangible improvements in their lives, ” he lamented.

Human Rights Activist said that if subsidy savings have increased government revenues, citizens deserve to know where the additional resources are going.

“If federal allocations to states have increased, Nigerians deserve to see corresponding improvements in infrastructure and social services.
If the government has saved money through subsidy removal, citizens deserve transparent evidence of how those savings are being deployed.

“The people cannot be expected to make endless sacrifices while accountability remains an afterthought, ” he further said.

The Convenient Blame Game

“Ben Murray-Bruce argues that transportation is largely a responsibility of state governments and that governors should use increased allocations to provide affordable mass transit.

“There is merit in demanding greater accountability from state governments.
Governors must be challenged to explain what they are doing with public resources. They must invest in transportation, healthcare, education, security and other services that directly affect citizens.
But that argument cannot become an excuse for the Federal Government to evade responsibility for the consequences of its own policies.

“Before transportation became unaffordable, the cost of fuel rose dramatically.
Before commuters began spending an extraordinary proportion of their income on transportation, the cost of operating vehicles had already increased.

“Before governors were asked to subsidise transportation, the Federal Government had taken a major decision that fundamentally altered the economics of transportation across the country, ” he explained.

The governors did not remove the fuel subsidy.

“The governors did not determine the national petroleum pricing framework.
The governors did not control the broader monetary and fiscal environment affecting the purchasing power of Nigerians.
Therefore, while state governments must be held accountable, the Federal Government must also accept responsibility.
You cannot set a house on fire and then lecture the tenants on how to arrange their furniture, ” Zikirullahi emphasized.

The People are not numbers

“Ben Murray-Bruce references the dramatic increase in bus fares, including the movement from approximately ₦644 to ₦1,431.
Those figures are important.
But behind every figure is a human being.
Behind the ₦1,431 transport fare is the student wondering whether to attend lectures.

“Behind the expensive bus fare is the worker calculating whether the salary received at the end of the month will survive transportation costs. Behind the rising cost of commuting is the mother choosing between transportation and medication. Behind the increased cost of movement is the trader whose profit is being consumed by logistics.

‘Behind every increase in transport costs is a family whose food budget is being squeezed.
This is why economic policy cannot be reduced to statistics. Statistics tell us what is happening. Human experiences tell us what those numbers mean.

“When transportation becomes unaffordable, people do not simply complain about fares. Their entire lives are affected.
Workers arrive late at their workplaces.
Students miss classes. Businesses reduce operations. Traders increase prices.
Farmers struggle to move agricultural products. Patients delay hospital visits.
Families reduce the number of trips they make.

“Eventually, the entire economy suffers.
The real question: Where are the benefits?
Ben Murray-Bruce asks governors: “What have you done with your allocation?” , he further stressed.

It is a legitimate question.

“But Nigerians have another question.
What has the Federal Government done with the nation’s resources—and with the savings and increased revenues associated with subsidy removal?
Where are the jobs?
Where is the security?
Where is the reliable electricity?
Where are the affordable roads?
Where is the social protection?
Where is the meaningful relief for vulnerable households?
Where is the transparency?
Where is the accountability?
Where is the comprehensive national transportation strategy?
Nigerians are not asking for miracles.
They are asking to see the benefits of the government.

“They are asking to understand why they are being asked to make extraordinary sacrifices while basic services remain inadequate.
A citizen who pays more for transportation, more for food, more for healthcare and more for virtually every necessity has a legitimate right to demand corresponding improvements in governance, ” he added.

A nation cannot be transported out of poverty

Mass transit is important.

“Nigeria urgently needs a modern, affordable and efficient public transportation system.
Our major cities require integrated transportation networks involving buses, rail, waterways and other efficient modes of mobility.

“But transportation policy cannot be separated from the wider economic crisis.
A worker who earns a salary that cannot adequately cover food, housing, education and transportation cannot be rescued merely by a bus.

“A trader whose operating costs have exploded needs more than cheaper transportation. A young person without employment needs an economic opportunity.
A family facing hunger needs food security.
A community without electricity needs reliable power. A farmer threatened by insecurity needs protection.

“Therefore, Nigeria needs an integrated economic and social policy—not isolated interventions designed to manage the consequences of deeper structural problems.
Mass transportation can reduce the cost of movement.

“It cannot, by itself, solve poverty.
It cannot create sufficient jobs.
It cannot eliminate insecurity.
It cannot fix the electricity crisis.
It cannot replace effective social protection.
It cannot substitute for accountable governance.

“The Security Crisis Cannot Be Ignored
The economic conversation cannot be separated from Nigeria’s worsening security challenges. Banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, cultism, armed robbery and other violent crimes have imposed enormous economic and psychological costs on citizens.

“Farmers cannot produce effectively where insecurity prevents access to farmland.
Traders cannot move goods freely where highways are unsafe.
Businesses cannot thrive where communities are unstable. Children cannot enjoy uninterrupted education where insecurity disrupts schools and communities.

“A country cannot achieve sustainable economic growth when citizens are constantly worried about their safety.
Therefore, any serious conversation about economic reform must include security, employment, food production, infrastructure and social welfare.

“These are not separate problems.
They reinforce one another.
Common Sense Must Include Compassion
Ben Murray-Bruce speaks about “common sense.”

“But common sense in governance must include compassion.
Common sense should tell policymakers that when a policy will significantly increase the cost of transportation, food and production, vulnerable citizens require protection.
Common sense should demand adequate preparation.

“Common sense should demand phased implementation where necessary.
Common sense should require effective palliative measures. Common sense should require transparency.
Common sense should require the government to communicate honestly with citizens.

“Most importantly, common sense should recognise that economic reforms are not experienced equally.

“The wealthy can absorb a price increase that may destroy a poor family’s budget.
A wealthy professional can adjust to a higher transport fare more easily than a minimum-wage worker.

“A large corporation may absorb higher logistics costs while a small trader may be forced out of business. That is why public policy must always consider the unequal burden imposed on citizens.
Nigerians Are Asking for Survival
Nigerians are not demanding perfection.
They are demanding survival.
They want policies that do not crush them.
They want leaders who understand what it means to live on a modest income.
They want public officials to appreciate the realities of commuting, buying food, paying rent, educating children and accessing healthcare in an economy where prices continue to rise, ” he further emphasised.

According to him, they want leaders who listen.

“They want governments that accept responsibility. They want institutions that are transparent. They want policies that are measured not merely by the applause they receive from elites, but by the improvement they bring to ordinary lives.

Ben Murray-Bruce says subsidy should not return.

“That position may be defended on economic grounds. But Nigerians are entitled to respond that suffering should not continue either. If subsidy removal is permanent, then the government must build systems capable of making citizens less vulnerable to the consequences.

“If the government says it has saved resources, citizens must see where those resources are being invested.
If governments receive increased allocations, citizens must demand accountability for those funds.
If mass transit is the solution, transportation systems must be properly planned, funded and managed.
And if reform is necessary, reform must not become another word for transferring the burden of government failure to the poorest citizens, ” he further lamented.

The responsibility of governors

‘Let it be clear: state governors cannot escape accountability. They have responsibilities. They must invest in public transportation. They must improve roads.
They must support food production.
They must strengthen healthcare and education. They must provide social protection. They must account for public resources. They must not hide behind the Federal Government whenever citizens demand answers.

“But accountability must run in both directions. The Federal Government must also answer for its decisions. The governors must account for their allocations. The Federal Government must account for its revenues and expenditures. State governments must explain their projects. Federal authorities must explain national policy outcomes.
That is what democracy requires.
This Is About the People, Not Political Points
This rejoinder is not written to score political points. It is written because a nation is bleeding. It is written because hunger has become a daily reality for millions.

“It is written because economic hardship has moved beyond academic discussion and entered the homes, markets, schools and workplaces of ordinary Nigerians.
It is written because citizens deserve to be heard. The debate over subsidy removal must therefore go beyond political loyalty.
It must go beyond praise for presidential courage. It must go beyond criticism of governors. It must focus on the Nigerian people. How are they surviving?
How many jobs have been created?
How affordable is transportation?
How accessible is healthcare?
How secure are the highways?
How productive are the farms?
How reliable is electricity?
How transparent is government spending?
These are the questions that matter, ” he further added.

Zikirullahi further stressed that Nigeria deserves a national conversation based on honesty, accountability and compassion.

“The removal of fuel subsidy, implemented without sufficient cushioning for vulnerable citizens, has contributed to a severe cost-of-living crisis. No amount of elite theorising can erase the reality being experienced by millions of Nigerians.

“Governors must act. The Federal Government must act. Public institutions must become more accountable. Leaders must listen.
And citizens must continue to demand answers.

“Ben Murray-Bruce is right that Nigeria needs an efficient mass transportation system.
But Nigeria needs much more than buses.
Nigeria needs jobs. Nigeria needs security.
Nigeria needs affordable food.
Nigeria needs reliable electricity.
Nigeria needs functional healthcare.
Nigeria needs quality education.
Nigeria needs infrastructure.
Above all, Nigeria needs leadership that understands that economic reform must ultimately serve the people.
The Nigerian people should not be told simply to endure.

“They should be given a reason to hope.
They should see tangible evidence that their sacrifices are producing a better country.
Nigeria deserves better. Nigerians deserve relief. And history will ultimately remember not only those who defended difficult policies, but also those who stood firmly with citizens when the consequences of those policies became unbearable, ” he said.