Stephanie Shaakaa write open letter to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from Gboko, Benue State. She talk say for her place, government no be communiqué or presidential briefing. People meet government when dem go market, when dem travel to farm, when dem pay school fees, when transport fares rise and when dem decide which household expense go wait till next month.
She say fear no be abstract word for Benue. News of another attack no be something people only encounter for newspaper reports. Communities don suffer attack, families lose relatives and farmers forced to think whether e safe to return to their fields.
On September 10 and 11, attack on Ayilamo for Logo Local Government Area kill four police officers and seven civilians. Four days later, two more police officers die for ambush while dem dey return to same community.
So when she write from Gboko, she no fit only talk about food price, transport cost or hardship from economic reforms. Another question sit under all of them: whether people safe enough to live, work and farm for their own communities.
She talk about Tinubu latest stay for Paris. She say nothing wrong with Nigerian president travel to France. Nigeria need France, just as France need Nigeria. Need diplomatic relationships, investment, technology, trade and cooperation. President suppose sit with another head of state negotiate for Nigeria. But question suppose follow every journey: wetin come home with President?
On September 18, French President Emmanuel Macron receive Tinubu for private dinner at Élysée Palace. Presidency describe meeting as reflecting enduring relationship between Nigeria and France and shared commitment to strengthen bilateral cooperation.
Tinubu also meet Vincent Bolloré for Paris, where him group announce plans to deepen investment and localisation for Nigeria creative and digital economy, including film, entertainment and fibre-optic infrastructure. Those are legitimate areas. But Nigerians suppose ask wetin meetings mean beyond photographs and official descriptions. What commitments? Wetin Nigeria gain? What obligations? Wetin Nigerians expect, and when? Wetin you bring back for us?
She say those questions no be hostility to France. They are ordinary questions citizens suppose ask government. They even more reasonable because Paris become one of most frequent destinations of him presidency. The PUNCH report this month say Tinubu spend more than 270 days abroad since assuming office, on 51 trips covering at least 30 countries, with more than 50 days for Paris across official, working and private visits.
The number alone no prove say every journey unnecessary. Administration maintain say him still receive briefings, issue directives and oversee government while abroad. Presidency describe current European stay as working vacation and point to official engagements during it. But governing no be only ability to issue instructions from another country. There is difference between being informed about Nigeria and being physically present for country whose problems you dey briefed about.
From Gboko, question no be whether President permitted to travel. Of course he is. Question be whether frequency and length of those absences proportionate to condition of country him lead and sacrifices Nigerians asked to make.
Picture from Paris hard to separate from picture at home. At Élysée Palace, table laid for presidential dinner, polished glasses, fine surroundings and two heads of state seated together for one of France most important rooms. For Nigeria, displaced families still struggle with food, shelter and basic necessities after losing homes. Contrast no mean President no suppose dine with French President. E mean country suppose look at both pictures at same time.
One picture show Nigeria represented at highest level of international diplomacy. Other show Nigerians who need their own government to remember what life look like when person lose security of home. Presidential dinner fit last few hours. Hunger no dey keep diplomatic time. For displaced family, empty plate no be metaphor, and no communiqué fit make am less empty. Table for Paris important. So is Nigerian who no get table at all.
While Nigeria represented abroad, Nigerians at home ask immediate question: will we safe tomorrow? That question deserve presidency attention like any foreign investment deal. Nigeria never be French colony. History matter, not because Nigeria suppose keep France at arm length, but because e remind us basis wey two countries meet: sovereignty. We suppose trade with France. Welcome French investment where e serve Nigerian interests. Cooperate on security, culture, technology and diplomacy. We suppose also disagree with France whenever Nigeria interests require disagreement. Sovereign country suppose do all that without psychology of dependence.
Relationship with France suppose be between countries with interests to negotiate, not former colony and former colonial power. Nigeria no need approach Paris with reverence. E need approach Paris with clarity about wetin Nigeria want. Whatever negotiated for Paris in Nigeria name suppose eventually understandable to Nigerians at home. Transparency important. Presidency don tell Nigerians wetin happen at Macron dinner. Dem tell us about Bolloré meeting and investment interests. But official account no be same as public accountability. Where important national interests involved, Nigerians deserve know enough to understand wetin government agree to pursue for their behalf.
This become important for presidency wey ask Nigerians to accept painful economic changes. Petrol subsidy removed. Naira allowed to adjust sharply. Transportation costs rise. Food prices hard for ordinary households. Businesses face higher operating costs. Administration argue reforms necessary to correct structural weaknesses and put economy on sustainable footing. Argument fit be made. But people making sacrifice get right to ask wetin sacrifice dey produce. Family for Gboko no experience economic reform as policy paper. E experience am when same money buy less food, when transport chop larger part of household income and when young person with qualifications still no find work. If Nigerians asked to endure immediate pain of reform for better future, government must show road from one to other. Otherwise, wetin exactly sacrifice for?
Same principle apply to continuing dispute for United States over access to investigative records involving Tinubu. Him legal team challenge release of records sought through Freedom of Information Act case. Presidency stress say proceedings na civil records-disclosure dispute and no US court find him guilty of criminal wrongdoing. That distinction matter and no suppose erase. Allegation no be conviction. Record no automatically proof of wrongdoing. Court dispute over access to documents no suppose present as criminal judgment. But transparency get another side. When questions about public official persist, citizens get right to ask whether as much information as law permit suppose available. Public confidence no strengthen by telling people matter complicated. E strengthen when facts wey lawfully fit disclose placed beyond unnecessary doubt. Same standard suppose apply to public contracts, government honours and access to state opportunities. Whenever government give individual or corporation significant public benefit, Nigerians suppose ask what due diligence conducted, what qualifications justify decision and what country receive in return. That no be attack on business or investment. Na wetin accountability look like when public resources and public institutions involved.
She write from Gboko because concern larger than Paris. E about relationship between places where presidential decisions made and places where Nigerians live with consequences. Here, insecurity no be line in briefing. E be community wondering whether another attack go come. E be farmer calculating whether returning to field worth risk. E be family wey hear news of another killing and wonder how long before dem mention their own community. Here, economic reform no be policy argument on television. E be household trying to make same income stretch further. Here, unemployment no be statistic. E be young graduate wey don spend years looking for job and beginning to wonder whether any place for him education for country.
Official reports fit describe these realities but no fit fully convey. You fit conduct government from abroad. You fit meet presidents, investors and international business leaders. Some meetings fit produce agreements wey eventually benefit Nigeria. That na why Nigerians suppose insist on knowing wetin agreements contain and how benefits go reach country. World go continue invite Nigerian President. Paris go continue receive him. Investors go continue request meetings. Foreign governments go continue seek Nigeria attention because Nigeria matter. But none of those audiences be final audience of him presidency. Final audience dey here. E dey Gboko and Makurdi, Kano and Maiduguri, Lagos and Enugu, Port Harcourt and Kaduna. Na Nigerian wey wake every morning and no choice but live with consequences of wetin government decide.
Mr President, you no need stop travelling. You need make every journey answerable to people whose country you dey travel for. Engage France. Engage Europe. Engage America. Bring investment home. Negotiate firmly. Build partnerships. Open markets. Pursue opportunities. But no allow foreign capitals where Nigeria President received to become more familiar to presidency than Nigerian communities where consequences of presidential decisions endured. People of Gboko no get luxury of stepping away from Nigeria when things hard. Dem stay. Dem work. Dem struggle. Dem adjust. Dem wait. Dem get right to expect government wey ask them for patience to remain close enough to understand wetin that patience dey cost them.
Nigeria na sovereign country. Him resources belong to him people, and him institutions suppose work for public. Those principles no suppose become less important because President dey deal with foreign governments, investors or powerful individuals. Presidency too exist because of Nigerian people. E no suppose become so removed from daily reality that country being governed begin look different from country being represented abroad. Whatever discussed for Paris, whatever negotiated abroad and whatever committed in name of Nigeria must eventually fit be explained to Nigerians. That no be too much to ask. Na minimum owed to people whose country you lead. From Gboko, na the question she leave with President: After all journeys, all meetings and all conversations abroad, can Nigerians still see themselves clearly for government being conducted in their name? Nigeria belongs to Nigerians.
