By Abiodun Komolafe
“He who knows no
hardships will know no hardihood. He who faces no calamity will need no
courage. Mysterious though it is, the characteristics in human nature which we
love best grow in a soil with a strong mixture of troubles.”
– Harry Emerson Fosdick.
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*Buhari |
I am a
professed and an active Buharist and I am glad I made a wise choice! Impliedly,
given the opportunity again, I will not hesitate to repeat my preference for
Muhammadu Buhari as Nigeria’s president.
With that said, one
cannot but be worried about the direction in which Nigeria is headed. That there is a
cloud of darkness surrounding the country is no longer in doubt. No thanks to
the impunity of the Jonathanians which turned her into a veiled entity,
unworthy of incense.
As things stand, Nigeria’s foundation
is not only threatened with predictable consequences, its economy is also
castrated. The masses are in total hardship, toiling and suffering; and it
seems as if the spirit of Saul is pursuing our David! In this ‘fantastically
corrupt’ country, demigods and untouchables in high places who once stole Nigeria blind are using Nigeria’s money to torment Nigeria. And it
is as if their Cain is plotting to assassinate our Abel! Civil servants are
living in avoidable stress and agony; and it’s as if the Pharaoh which knew
Joseph has passed! Though we seek to behave as a country run by laws, there’s
an increase in electricity tariff without any corresponding increase in its
availability. As if to compound our woes, our intelligence system has become so
weak that criminals’ propensity to succeed in their acts has increased. As
such, rather than collaborate, our security agencies find it more convenient to
compete for recognition and attention.
A recently-released
Livelihoods and Economic Recovery Assessment 2016 report on the North-East of
Nigeria is not only revealingly disturbing, it is also symptomatic of a looming
disaster unless urgent steps are taken to reset the button of Nigeria’s
socio-economic situations. According to the report, unveiled by the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with Oxfam Nigeria, “46
per cent of households in that part of the country borrow money to buy food;
one economically active member of a household sustains 2.3 non-active members,
while a majority of them do not have sufficient food supply.” It did not end
there: “41 per cent rely on alternative health care, 21 per cent have migrated
to other locations, while 20 per cent send their children out to work and beg.
11 per cent support a member with a mental or physical disability, while 21 per
cent include, at least, one member with a chronic illness.”