The Ascent of King Bola and the Burden of the People
And it came to pass on the twenty-ninth day of the fifth month, in the year of our Lord two thousand and twenty-three, that Bola, who was called Tinubu, ascended the throne of the kingdom of Nigeria, taking dominion over the land from the hands of his predecessor, Muhammadu. And there was much silence in the land, and celebration in the king’s court, for the will of the people was overtaken, but the people did hope.
But behold, ere the dust settled from the coronation, tribulation arose swiftly in the land, for the people were sore afflicted by the burdens of the times, and their joy turned to groaning. For the King, in his zeal to bring forth a new economy, did proclaim sweeping reforms, even on the very day of his anointing.
He removed the yoke of fuel subsidy, which had long been a crutch to the common man, and loosed the naira, the currency of the land, to float upon the treacherous waters of the market, saying, “Let the nation be free from the shackles that bind our economy, and let us walk in the path of true prosperity.”
But the people groaned aloud, for the price of petrol soared threefold, and in some distant parts, even fivefold, and the cost of bread and oil, and all manner of foodstuffs, waxed great beyond measure. The poor and the vulnerable, they did lament, for their daily sustenance became a luxury, and their tables grew barren.
And the King spake unto the multitude, through his scribes and heralds, saying, “Endure these afflictions, for they are but for a moment, even as a bitter draught swallowed for a lasting cure, that we may build a new foundation of hope and abundance for all.”
Yet, the cries of the people rose like incense from the dusty streets and crowded markets, for inflation, a ravenous beast, devoured their wages, and hunger gnawed at their bellies, and many did sleep with empty bellies.
And after many months, murmuring filled the streets and courtyards, and protest signs were hoisted, for the king tarried not in foreign lands as his predecessor, but his policies brought pain that lingered as a dark shadow over the nation, and despair, like a thick fog, enveloped the hearts of many.
And they said one to another, as they gathered in clusters and spake in hushed tones, “How is it that the king, in seeking to save the kingdom from its maladies, hath multiplied our sorrows? For our naira is as chaff before the wind, losing its strength daily against the dollar and the pound, and the price of petrol is as a mountain too high to climb, crushing the common man beneath its weight.”
For the king’s decrees, though proclaimed with words of vision, brought deep tribulation upon the land, and yet he spake often of hope and renewal, promising a golden age, while many saw only hardship, insecurity, and an uncertain morrow, with naught but promises to fill their empty purses.
And some whispered in the marketplaces and in the secret places of fellowship, “Surely, the king careth not for the common man, for his reforms do enrich the few connected to the throne and impoverish the many, causing a great divide in the land.”