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I understand that within your walls you have distinguished guests from Benin, in particular former presidents Nicephor Soglo and Yayi Boni. As far as we know, their purpose of staying in Niger is to consider and respect a part of the Nigerien people. Patrice Talon has shown unparalleled enthusiasm, which is the reflection of the broadest public opinion in neighboring Benin, and the whole world now understands the reason for the arrogance of this Beninese businessman head of state. Like the vast majority of my compatriots who have spoken on this issue so far, I remain convinced that the people of Benin are as much victims of Patrice Talon’s stupidity as Niger, two brotherly countries and neighbors linked by centuries of brotherhood. The corrupt behavior of a deceased leader cannot be mortgaged. As they say, the man dies, but the country lives on.
It is in the name of this principle that diplomatic wisdom is manifested and the mistake that must not be made in statecraft is solved: grafting personal feelings onto temporary diplomatic issues. This is a big mistake that Patrice made and I implore you to avoid making the same mistake. That is why I humbly become the spokesperson for this silent mass that suffers greatly from the persistence of the Benin problem but has no voice. I think that all that resonates is the frantic cry of these wild beasts, which, under the cozy cover of patriotism and sovereignty, stigmatize and threaten anyone who dares to talk about appeasement and dialogue. Don’t forget that the path to violence always begins with violent voices. As a peace-loving person, I can only follow the footsteps of those few who have the courage to raise their own weak voices amid the thundering din of war. Here is an example of such rare but realistic speeches that I had the opportunity to read on social networks: “We need moderation and trade-offs. We do not run a country with our hearts. There is no problem with Benin and Niger, but Tyrone is short-lived. He will be gone in two years at most, and before that, he will succumb. Tanya chose Benin for economic and security reasons. We are no more patriotic than he is. We cannot write off huge investments. Reason must prevail. ”
My General,
The stay of Nisephore Sogré and Boni Yayi is a symbol of the love of peace, peaceful coexistence, fraternal and mutually beneficial cooperation between the peoples of Benin and Niger, which has brought great happiness to the people. As the head of state of Niger, it is your duty to put the ball on the table, as football players say, to calm the topic and make wise decisions in the interest of the people of Niger. This interest must not be compromised or obscured in any way, because it is in line with the oath you made to never betray the expectations and aspirations of the people of Niger. Are you sure that insisting on the closure of the Benin-Niger border is in line with the expectations of the people of Niger? Make sure it is, because I can assure you that the lives of your compatriots have become difficult and food is no longer affordable for low-income families.
I am not sure if you know the price information of common food items. So I tell you on my patriotic duty that the price of bags of rice, corn and millet is too high and many compatriots no longer know which way to go to get out of the predicament. In the best case, the price of a bag of rice is 15,000 FCFA and the price of a bag of corn is 38,000 FCFA. As for a bag of millet consumed by the vast majority of compatriots, it is 40,000. Can we continue to teach our compatriots about resilience and not give them solutions? To be honest, “TayiTawri – Haya Sandi”.
My General,
The resilience of the people of Niger that we celebrate all day long is a huge challenge that we cannot understand when we are not used to the lack of enough money to buy a kilo of rice – which not all families can afford today. “TAYI TAWRI – HAYA SANDI”. Whether we are under the protection of power or not; whether we have the financial ability to buy super basmati rice (a very expensive rice), we must not forget that Niger has a population of 26 million people, some of whom do not have enough to eat all year round and do not have clean water to drink. Each of us must know that our first battle is to feed and drink our fellow citizens. This is the price paid for the resilience of the population. Talking about resilience is undoubtedly asking more of them than they need and more than they can afford for those who are struggling to find a kilo of rice or any other suitable cereal to eat and stand. In the final analysis, it is an indecent request, especially when the state cannot enforce the prices determined in consultation with the employers’ organizations of grain import traders.
Herein lies the problem, Nigeriens do not understand that the government sets prices not in an authoritarian manner but in coordination with traders, but anything that is decided will not be respected.
Is it that the government and the National Committee for the Protection of the Fatherland (Cnsp) are weak in front of businessmen, or is there a chain of collusion that has made the people the laughing stock of turkeys?
How do we explain that the approach that has worked well in other countries of the Alliance for the Sahel (Aes) has not been applied here at all?
Why is it that the prices of basic food items have skyrocketed even though the state has made it so easy for traders?
For the record, the following are the rice prices set and published according to the region. The price of a 25 kg bag of rice with a 5% to 25% discount is set at 13,500 FCFA in Niamey, 13,675 FCFA in Dosso, 13,825 FCFA in Tahoua, 13,925 FCFA in Maradi, 14,000 FCFA in Zinder, 14,375 FCFA in Diffa, 14,125 FCFA in Maryland. Agadez and 13,650 FCFA in Tillabéry.
My General,
If I remind you of this painful experience, it is because your name was mentioned by your Minister of Commerce at a press conference in February 2024, behind this measure, which was part of the instructions you received to ease the difficulties faced by citizens in obtaining basic necessities of life. However, it turned out that, with all due respect, this government decision was never respected. In all this, what is surprising is the silence of the government in the face of this painful situation. It is as if people are left to their own devices, with their hands and fists tied to businessmen who are accused of dishonesty and disrespect for the promises made. Why is there this inexplicable silence?
Malami Bukar (World Today)
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