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Social media personality and critic Reno Omokri has posited that the current economic hardship facing millions of Nigerians is an inescapable reality the country needs to achieve long-term and sustainable economic development.
Many Nigerians have been grappling with excruciating living conditions since President Bola Tinubu took office on May 29, 2023.
The cause of the economic hardship has been linked to two key government policies: petrol subsidy removal and the unification of the foreign exchange market.
These moves have triggered a skyrocketing fuel price, an unprecedented hike in food prices, a massive increase in the cost of goods and services and ballooning inflation.
Despite the dire situation and appeal by many Nigerians for a reversal, President Tinubu has stuck to his guns, insisting that his policies were necessary for the country to make economic headway.
Netizens christian Tinubu T-pain
Meanwhile, Tinubu's seeming tone deafness - as claimed by some Nigerians, especially the opposition parties - to the outcry of the suffering masses has earned him a comical epithet on social media.
Recently, an X user referred to the President as 'T-pain,' a clear reference to the painful effects of his reform programmes. As with everything on social media, the sobriquet has since gained popularity and that's partly because it readily brings to mind the name of a popular American singer and producer.
While criticising the President's management of the subsidy regime, a former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, borrowed the nickname to highlight Tinubu’s alleged lack of empathy.
In a post on his X on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Atiku said "It is even more worrying that T-pain is undisturbed by the hardship in the country," suggesting that Tinubu appears indifferent to the economic suffering widespread across Nigeria.
Omokri redefines T-pain
However, in a post on his X on Friday, Omokri gave his definition of T-pain and why he thinks the tag doesn't necessarily portend doom and gloom for the country.
The social media critic said T-Pain should stand for 'Temporary Pain,' which captures the country’s current economic reality.
He likened Nigeria's current situation to the same phase experienced by other developed countries before they reached their current status.
''T-Pain should stand for Temporary Pain, because in life, you often have to grow through pain to go through gain. Nigeria is currently going through a necessary phase of pressure that will result in an accessory state of treasure.
''The Southeast Asian nations experiencing economic strides today went through this Temporary Pain stage yesterday. It is inescapable for a country that wants to clique jump from Third World to First.
''I support these reforms, and if we are to be intellectually honest, when you look at the manifestoes of both the Peoples Democratic Party and the Labour Party, everything this administration is doing is what we all said we would do if we won the 2023 election.
''Float the Naira, remove fuel subsidy, and devolve power to states and local governments. T-Pain is Temporary-Pain. There is no permanent gain without some T-Pain,'' he wrote.