**Open Letter to President Tinubu**
**Your Excellency**,
Everybody……
During the last rainy and planting season, a warning was issued about imminent food shortages due to financial constraints faced by small-scale growers, who contribute 85% of the market’s produce. This predicament, exacerbated by the cash crunch and heightened insecurity from Fulani herdsmen and bandits, unfortunately, falls on Tinubu’s shoulders as his predecessor’s legacy.
The economic fallout, caused by printing N23 trillion without gold backing, demands innovative solutions to extricate Nigeria from its current plight.
Meanwhile, immediate damage control and social interventions are imperative to alleviate the vulnerable citizens for at least six months while the government rectifies past economic errors.
To address this crisis effectively, the federal government should adopt strategic, result-oriented solutions with short-term implementation.
Key recommendations include importing shiploads of rice and beans, repackaging them into 12.5kg and 25kg bags for easier distribution to the vulnerable.
Additionally, importing wheat/flour can significantly reduce bread prices for those in need.
Considering the health of the vulnerable, importation of shiploads of medication for prevalent diseases like hypertension, diabetes, myalgia, diarrhea/gastroenteritis, and other infectious diseases is crucial.
This medication should be provided free in all 36 states for those in genuine need, preventing opportunistic resale.
Engaging local manufacturers and possible forex intervention can ensure a steady supply of essential drugs.
Similar successful programs in the USA, like in Alabama, serve as a model.
Access to medical practitioners for free consultations and prescriptions for essential drugs, coupled with local manufacturing support, is vital.
The same support should extend to small growers to ensure they can plant in the upcoming rainy season without financial constraints.
This emergency social assistance plan is likened to asymmetric warfare, necessary to uplift the Tinubu administration’s image and provide relief to the people, aligning with humanitarian practices observed in countries like Oman and Saudi Arabia.
While acknowledging the challenges, the onus is on President Tinubu to find solutions and prevent further deterioration.
Prompt action is essential due to the country’s volatile situation.
It is recommended not to appoint just anyone but to consider a Special Adviser on Special Projects, offering support for an appointee with experience, creativity, and the right mindset to successfully manage this initiative.
The author expresses willingness to assist the Tinubu administration if required.
Acting swiftly is crucial in this highly critical scenario.
Princess Dr. Gloria Hameeda Adebajo-Fraser MFR. MBA. MloD
Founder, The National Patriots
