ECONOMIC IMBROGLIO: THE BEAST NEEDED TO BE TAMED IN NIGERIA OF TODAY

Before the attainment of political independence, there was a nation richly blessed and with an adequate bumper harvest annually. But lo and behold, after the attainment of independence, the story changed and the nation once known for its productivity and economic buoyancy found itself in mere recession. The unexpected suddenly occurred and Nigeria known as GIANT OF AFFRICA then became the once upon a time GIANT OF AFRICA because the mighty has fallen and her giantness has emaciated and emasculated. But if I may ask, whose fault is it? Yours as a leader or follower, mine as a follower or theirs as leaders? The answer to the question above cannot be far fetched at all because nobody can prove being righteous. This is to let you know that you and I are involved. We are altogether involved in wrecking the havoc and also becoming the causal agent of the present economy recession of our dear nation. This is because everyone of us is corrupt and no single saint can be found in the land. Even the so called saints are even more corrupt than those tagged corrupt.

Considering the state of things in the present Nigeria therefore, one will surely be convinced that the fact that Nigeria is in the apogee of mere recession cannot be underestimated. Out of many causes of this recession are the following:

Firstly, the sudden switch from self sufficiency in food production to other source of income and foreign exchange. This implies that the neglect of the old and ancient landmark which is agriculture formed the main cause of the present economic imbroglio in Nigeria. This is so because Nigeria was an agrarian society before the discovery of petroleum. Nigeria was one of the world's leading exporters of farm products like cocoa, rubber, palm oil, coal, groundnut and cotton. All those listed items above helped the country and the citizenry to live comfortably. Then, dogs and some other domestic animals were kept, reared and well fed not from the crumbs but from excess food produced but reverse is the case in the present Nigeria. It’s quite unfortunate that the discovery of petroleum known as ‘black gold’ brought woe upon the land. The country shifted totally from GREEN BUSINESS as a means of foreign exchange to petroleum which actually made agriculture to become a thing of the past and the country finds itself in the imbroglio of the highest order. Presently, farming is being viewed as a dirty job by most of the citizens especially the youths, forgetting that the major source of income and living before the discovery of petroleum known as BLACK GOLD was agriculture. We should not be surprised of the present state because a Yoruba proverb says: “a river that forgets its source shall run dry” and that’s exactly what is happening in the Nigeria of today. Nigeria which was once an exporter of Palm oil is now an importer of this same Palm oil. A country richly blessed with fertile and rich soil filled with milk and honey is still importing ‘garri’ which was once the food of the poor. The most sad aspect here is that the imported food can only feed the insignificant percentage of the citizenry.

In addition, bribery and corruption also contribute to the economic nightmare of the present Nigeria. Our dear country is experiencing recession because most of the leaders and followers, if not all, are corrupt. Some have eaten "dodo" and cannot thusly say "ododo.” Some are with selfish ambitions and with dead conscience. They usually find pleasure in living flamboyant lives at the expense of the poor citizens. They embezzle our resources, thereby forcing the citizenry into becoming scavengers. It’s just a pity that a country once full of ample resources is in this present state of recession.

In the same vein, for Nigeria to come out of the economic imbroglio, Naira must be reevaluated. Imagine a dollar which was once #90K now increased to #450 and above. That’s the signal that something must be done to the currency.

In the same manner, there should be youth empowerment put in place to enable the youths to be self dependent. There must be adequate supports for entrepreneurship. Government should be able to create more jobs and also be ready to stimulate small businesses. By doing this, I think the country will be restored to her normal position in the House of Nations.

Also, the government should desist from their “POLITRICKING” and face the reality. The issue of politics without principle should be avoided. There are many promises the present government had made to the citizenry in order to attract votes. But what happened after the election? All the promises came to nought. The people are totally forgotten without any attempt to attend to their plights.

In conclusion, coming out of this present state requires our joint efforts. Remember, a tree cannot make a forest. Nigeria in a particular song is said to be for everyone of us because there’s no other place to run to. So, if we actually want Nigeria to rise beyond her challenges, you and I have constructive roles to play. We must be united and be ready to fight for the benefit of all. We must be ready to say the truth without fear and be ready to tackle corruption. We must rise up, individually and collectively.

Ok