Blaming Buhari, Emefiele, and bankers for not knowing that Nigerians are “Hangry”

By Isaac Asabor

Without any iota of exaggeration, anger over the scarcity of the newly redesigned naira notes, food costs, and fuel costs spawned the rash of violent protests that swept across some state capitals yesterday.

According to researchers, observational learning is the process of learning by watching the behaviors of others. The targeted behavior is watched, memorized, and then put under observation. Through observation, as parents, it is easier to know when our children are hungry and angry, to make us understand when it is exigent to put actions in place to caringly meet their needs in order to forestall a situation where they unmanageably become hangry.

For the sake of clarity, it is explanatory to say that lexicographers described the word, hangry as “an informal adjective meaning “irritable or angry because of hunger.”

According to etymologists, the word is a combination of “Hunger” and “Angry”. They explained that anyone who has ever felt so hungry to the point of getting angry can be said to be “hangry”.

Against the foregoing backdrop, it is advisable for leaders at every level of government to have the technical skills that are needed to understand when the people are hungry and angry to preempt a situation where they can be found to be hangry.

Thus, given the whirlwind of mayhem that swept across Nigeria yesterday, it is obvious that our leaders are not observant enough. For instance, not a few Nigerians yesterday, being the 15th day in the month of February 2023, were seen across various parts of the country vandalizing banks and their Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

Given the widespread chaos, it will not be out of place in this context to opine that it is expedient for any politician that aspires to hold public office; either through appointment or election to have the sense of observation as it helps in successfully leading the people, managing stress, delivering feedback, and knowing at what point it is auspicious to implement a policy or program.

Without a doubt, observation skill, which is synonymous with emotional intelligence is a leadership skill that cannot be ignored as it accounts for a high percentage of what sets high performers apart from those without similar technical skills and knowledge.

I must confess that I was inspirationally compelled at night to express this view as it is crystal clear that our present crop of leaders lacks the emotional intelligence that is needed to understand the collective temperament of the people. Little wonder the people are always revolting against them. At this juncture, it is expedient to recall the End SARS protest that was carried out in 2020 to end police brutality and extrajudicial killings that have become endemic in Nigeria and the presently evolving scenario that has seen politicians being booed, and chased away with stones and cudgels from campaign grounds by their constituents.

Given the foregoing, it is not an exaggeration to say that if our leaders were observational enough, the implementation of the ongoing demonetization of the economy would have been meticulously planned and implemented to avoid the wind of chaos that blew across many parts of the country yesterday with no fewer than three persons feared dead as irate youths made attempt to burn down a branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in Benin City over the rejection of old naira notes.

While the gory incident played out in the ancient city, protests also broke out in Oyo, Delta, and Ondo states over the scarcity of the newly redesigned N200, N500, N1, 000 notes and the rejection of the old naira bills. In Benin, the protesters succeeded in destroying some commercial banks.

In Delta, a combined squad of the army and police foiled an attempt to set ablaze Access Bank at Orhuwhorun junction in Udu Local Government Area of the state by angry customers who also destroyed

First Bank in Owvian in the early hours of the day.

It was also gathered that there were shootings around the banks in a frantic effort to disperse the angry customers, while residents around the banks were subjected to a traumatic experience as they witnessed heavy shootings and teargas from 8 a.m.

In Benin City, the Edo State capital, the youths in their numbers barricaded all roads, leading to the popular and ever-busy Ring Road, where Nigeria’s apex bank was situated while making attempts to gain entrance. As gathered, it took the timely intervention of security operatives to save the situation, but not without the protesters vandalizing some commercial banks in the area.

It was also gathered that military officers began to shoot when they could not resist the push by the protesters. In a similar vein, the enraged protesters, who were seen wielding leaves, sticks, and other dangerous weapons, descended on a branch of the First Bank of Nigeria, at the Ring Road and destroyed its ATM gallery.

Reports also had it that the disruption of activities, which caused a total gridlock at the heart of the city, started when banks and business owners began to reject the old naira notes as a result of the CBN deadline.

Similarly, as a result of scarcity of new naira notes and fuel, some residents across various areas within the Ibadan metropolis, the Oyo State capital, in the early hours of Wednesday trooped into major roads blocking the free movement of vehicles.

Some of the affected areas included Eleiyele, Oke-Ado, Molete, Sango, and other parts of the city. It was gathered that the protesters first converged on Eleyele Junction in Ibadan North West Local Government Area of the state.

The protesters blocked the everbusy Eleyele-Ologuneru-Eruwa road causing grid lock around Eleyele, Ijokodo, and Sango-Poly roads. Given the retrogressive development, motorists had to seek alternative routes while school children hurriedly returned home for fear of being attacked. Again, it was gathered that the protest spread to other areas within the city like Oke Ado, and Molete in Ibadan South West Local Government Area.

In a similar vein, Commercial banks in Akure, the Ondo State capital, were shut in a hurry as protesters barricaded Adekunle Ajasin Road of the Alagbaka commercial district of the metropolis.

Given the foregoing revolting scenarios, it is germane to ask, “Is it not said that ‘A hungry man is an angry man’?”

Isaac Asabor is a Public Policy Analyst.