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Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 - Politics (3) - Nairaland

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Anyone Complaining About Hardship In Nigeria Is Not Being Realistic – Isa-Onilu / Photo Of Buhari In 1983 And 2019: Spot The Difference / Ben Bruce Shades Buhari For Overthrowing Shagari's Administration In 1983 (2) (3) (4)

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Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Smartcitizen: 7:59pm On Aug 03
PandoraObi:
Hardship didn't start today


And wicked government supporters has always been supporting them from the beginning till today.

2 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Cindypresh(f): 8:00pm On Aug 03
Okoroawusa:

Small pikin Shagari was in office when this letter was written. Some of the issues raised in the letter were one of the reasons Buhari seized power on 31st December 1983.

Taata k'ibu
.


Rie nsi

1 Like

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Rilwayne001: 8:01pm On Aug 03
Slimvincent:
200 a bag of beans is good deal compared to the reality of today.

Mumu, so getting 200 back in the days was as easy as it is today Abi? tongue grin

4 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Eaglesence: 8:02pm On Aug 03
Engrjamjam:
All Obidients are Hungry and Poor! This hardship is showing them shege! grin grin


"Them" like say you ain't part of the suffering.. monkey like your type no dey town










grin

1 Like

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by crossbreedwears(m): 8:02pm On Aug 03
We had two different government in 1983
Cindypresh:


Shatap

1983 hardship was caused by the same buhari you, Apc and tinupoo packaged for Nigeria in 2015 and voted him again in 2019.

People like mannabbqgrillz, seunmsg, omoawoke, freestuffng, Madridguy and host of other urchinnns defended for 8 wasted years
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by bluefilm: 8:03pm On Aug 03
easzypeaszy:
Wetin the man do?
Was he a bad person or you just felt cursing him will ease ur pain...just curious to know.

It's not a curse

It's a very famous quote by the man Tai Solarin himself

4 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by adeniyi65(m): 8:04pm On Aug 03
Slimvincent:
200 a bag of beans is good deal compared to the reality of today.
A good deal!? Do you bother to search the average salary of that time?

2 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by kayttah(m): 8:06pm On Aug 03
lmao... go check the meaning of the phrase "may your road be rough"
easzypeaszy:
Wetin the man do?
Was he a bad person or you just felt cursing him will ease ur pain...just curious to know.

3 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Panda7: 8:06pm On Aug 03
I remember when there was trade by batter, you must have had an equivalent to exchange for something and that brought the mathematics of equation, measuring two equations termed “b” and “a” or “y” and “x” to equate the midpoint of -1, in this instances, take for example what you would describe your students on the economic scales of needs and wants, goods and services, demands and supplies. Your answer must have been the results of the mathematics you are not keeping as the head of academics called the principle of accounting of cr and dr
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by adeniyi65(m): 8:06pm On Aug 03
brain54:
I like the way he broke the news of the increment...

To the parents.

Nowadays, nobody cares to give any explanation.

"Dear parents,

From next term your wards are to pay...."

At least they were simple, humane back then!
Like the way he brake the news also. Every parent would see the school dedication been fluctuate by then economy situation.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Okoroawusa: 8:06pm On Aug 03
Cindypresh:
.


Rie nsi
Tajue nsi afo

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by MerchantMNT: 8:17pm On Aug 03
easzypeaszy:
Wetin the man do?
Was he a bad person or you just felt cursing him will ease ur pain...just curious to know.

That was Tai Solarin's saying. He was known to tell his students that.

4 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Komu1048(m): 8:18pm On Aug 03
BeardedMeat:
They tolerated the nonsense, were complacent and watched helplessly while the ruling class stole the people's wealth.
That's why this generation is saying enough is enough.


And what has change. We need to be wise and be more involve in politics
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Wrackcityoffici: 8:20pm On Aug 03
nlfpmod:


Credit: Alli-Balogun H.Lekan




This is way different, a school complaining about feeding 2300 children daily… school owners in this days can’t feed their own family bare to think of feeding a whole 2300 children?

1 Like

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by PDPdestroyer(m): 8:21pm On Aug 03
gentleguy1975:
bro,#200 was a lot of money back then oo, I remember in 1985 I was in secondary school,#1 was enough for my 2 square meal!
Leave all these GenZ with empty brains

3 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Henryfocoyo(m): 8:23pm On Aug 03
Adabilaal:
Things will keep increasing because our economy is failing and our currency losses value. All you need to do it to hustle, invest and save.
Adapt to current global changes, do crypto and forex. Try earning in foreign currencies

DM for any country number verification
bro what's the best coin to buy now
Thanks
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by EXPRESSSMAN(m): 8:23pm On Aug 03
finallybusy:
There never were good days. People enjoy deceiving themselves.

There was. In schools this period, we could do some handcraf like broom or basket and sell it up to 10 kobo. With this amount, you can afford a lot of things as a student. Sardines was like 2 kobo, soft drinks the same. You can flex with your 10 kobo for over a week as a student.

1 Like

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by ganilas007: 8:26pm On Aug 03
What i know is no be today hunger don Dey land. When bag of rice of 3,500 millions of Nigerians could not afford it. They only buy derica on Sundays alone and they are average people poor parent can’t dare to buy it.

2 Likes

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by minasu190: 8:26pm On Aug 03
EyeCumInPiss:
Let's do small arithmetic:

Bag of Brown Beans in 1983
=₦200
Bag of Brown Beans in 2024
=₦100,000

So Bag of Brown Beans increased 500times in 41years

So if we continue like this, in next 41years (year 2065), price of Bag of Brown Beans will be:
500×₦100,000 =₦50m grin
Sense no go kill you grin
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Konquest: 8:31pm On Aug 03
nlfpmod:


Credit: Alli-Balogun H.Lekan

30th November, 1983

Dear Parents,

FEEDING OUR 2,300 CHILDREN

We are frightened by the rate food stuffs are rising madly in prices. There was an evening when we had no palm oil at all to prepare supper and a man in Sagamu offered us a drum for N700.00. Of Course we did not buy it. all the same we have bought other items of food for about twice what we paid for them three months ago.

I have travelled to Oyo and 22 miles further north sampling yams, tomatoes, beans and pepper. For this term we have turned some of the members of school administration to food buyers to under-cut the prices offered by our regular purchasers.

Brown beans now go fer N200 a bag.

On November 18th, our bank overdraft stood at N46,000. With food to buy till end of term and 2 months of salary to pay our staff, the figure should rise to well over N100,000. The end of the painfully long road is yet unknown.

If we are to keep our teachers - and they are doing well: of the 281 of our primary 6 who passed out last year, at least 130 got into Federal Government Colleges - we must pay their yearly increments. We are yet Pay these increments from last September.

An increase in fees is inevitable and the way I'm see it N20.00 a term added to each child's boarding fees from next term would help. It is impossible for anybody to scientifically guess how much increase should be charged, as the cause of our woes is, itself, unscientific. I have no doubt you will understand. The situation is grim.

But we cannot close the school.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tai Solarin,
Proprietor

Absolutely! For folks like me who were blessed to be alive in that year, 1983 was indeed like the iconic British Royal Air force pilot and educationist, Dr. Tai Solarin said. This was primarily due to the increase in interest rates to tame inflation in the early 1980s by the United States which led to the massive devaluation of the local currencies of many countries around the world including Nigeria and South American countries which were heavily impacted thereby leading to global inflation.

Dr. Tai Solarin was a pilot in the British Royal Air force during the 2nd World War due to the fact that he was in England for further studies at that time. He returned to Nigeria with his British wife Sheila Solarin, OBE, and founded the Mayflower School in his home town of Ikenne in Ogun State. The boxing heavy weight champion Anthony Joshua's Irish paternal grandmother who was a UK-trained nurse also worked at Mayflower School.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by adonainana: 8:33pm On Aug 03
EyeCumInPiss:
Let's do small arithmetic:

Bag of Brown Beans in 1983
=₦200
Bag of Brown Beans in 2024
=₦100,000

So Bag of Brown Beans increased 500times in 41years

So if we continue like this, in next 41years (year 2065), price of Bag of Brown Beans will be:
500×₦100,000 =₦50m grin

To add a bit of economic context

Dollars rate to the naira in 1983 was 0.765 so a bag of beans being sold for 200 naira was exactly $261 dollars (200naira / 0.765) back in 1983.

Today bag of the same beans is 100,000 naira and the exchange rate is $1 - 1600 naira . Which works out as 100,000 naira divided by 1600 which is 62 dollars

In real economic terms, the hardship in 1983 was 5 times worse than the one we are experiencing now

According to the principal of the school letter a bag of beans sold for $261 dollars then. It sells for 62 dollars now

Also historically speaking just the way 1983- 1985 and life eventually got better after

This time too in 2024 shall pass.

No country can experience inflation forever

Have faith

Shalom

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by RepoMan007: 8:36pm On Aug 03
EyeCumInPiss:
Let's do small arithmetic:

Bag of Brown Beans in 1983
=₦200
Bag of Brown Beans in 2024
=₦100,000

So Bag of Brown Beans increased 500times in 41years

So if we continue like this, in next 41years (year 2065), price of Bag of Brown Beans will be:
500×₦100,000 =₦50m grin
lol. 250k actually.
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by GindoX(m): 8:37pm On Aug 03
Zwooks:
Chai Solarin, May your road be rough

Yes, may his way be rough
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Tackle247: 8:41pm On Aug 03
EyeCumInPiss:
Let's do small arithmetic:

Bag of Brown Beans in 1983
=₦200
Bag of Brown Beans in 2024
=₦100,000

So Bag of Brown Beans increased 500times in 41years

So if we continue like this, in next 41years (year 2065), price of Bag of Brown Beans will be:
500×₦100,000 =₦50m grin
This shows Nigeria is always hard from time immemorial and the future is always in geometric rise in prices
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Engrjamjam: 8:42pm On Aug 03
Eaglesence:



"Them" like say you ain't part of the suffering.. monkey like your type no dey town










grin
Cc Nlfpmod
Mynd44
Lalasticlala
seun
Mynd44

Rule broken

1 Like

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Adabilaal: 8:43pm On Aug 03
Henryfocoyo:
bro what's the best coin to buy now
Thanks

Get my contact, let talk on Whatsapp

https://www.nairaland.com/8161972/country-whatsapp-number-starting-3000
Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Konquest: 8:44pm On Aug 03
adonainana:


To add a bit of economic context

Dollars rate to the naira in 1983 was 0.765 so a bag of beans being sold for 200 naira was exactly $261 dollars (200naira / 0.765) back in 1983.

Today bag of the same beans is 100,000 naira and the exchange rate is $1 - 1600 naira . Which works out as 100,000 naira divided by 1600 which is 62 dollars

In real economic terms, the hardship in 1983 was 5 times worse than the one we are experiencing now

According to the principal of the school letter a bag of beans sold for $261 dollars then. It sells for 62 dollars now

Also historically speaking just the way 1983- 1985 and life eventually got better after

This time too in 2024 shall pass.

No country can experience inflation forever

Have faith

Shalom
Succinctly stated.

Life was cool and memorable in the early 1980s for some of us who were alive to witness the sequence of events as of 1983 tbh. The increase in interest rates back in the early 1980s in order to tame hyperinflation on the domestic scene by the United States led to a massive devaluation of several local currencies and countries had to pay higher interest rates on IMF loans and more with some countries defaulting. So, that global economic contagion existed as of 1983 and this led to a military coup that led to Gen. Buhari becoming the Head-of-State. IBB and other officers led that coup and Gen. Buhari was only summoned from Jos to take over from former President Shehu Shagari because he did not fully partake in the coup plot.

1 Like 1 Share

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by aremubabs: 8:49pm On Aug 03
Cindypresh:


Shatap

1983 hardship was caused by the same buhari you, Apc and tinupoo packaged for Nigeria in 2015 and voted him again in 2019.

People like mannabbqgrillz, seunmsg, omoawoke, freestuffng, Madridguy and host of other urchinnns defended for 8 wasted years



The letter was dated November. Buhari became head of state in December.




So, how did Buhari cause the hardship?




I have told people that the worst president ever is Shehu Shagari imposed on Nigerians by Obasanjo.




Under Shehu Shagari, our local markets disappeared as foreign goods flooded our markets. Since then, we have remained lovers of foreign goods. This began the destruction of the value of our naira.

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Letter From Tai Solarin About Hardship In 1983 by Deepspirituals: 8:51pm On Aug 03
Engrjamjam:
All Obidients are Hungry and Poor! This hardship is showing them shege! grin grin
Yes oooo , Many Baba Basira , Iya Basira , Iya Jimoh are just going around begging for food saying Ebi Npa waoooo .. what a shame .

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