By Jacqui IWU
THUR, MARCH 29 2018-theG&BJournal-Those of you reading this article at this moment, who must have travelled and spent some time outside this country will agree with me that Nigeria would have been a super power if all our human and economic resources had not been wasted by our past and present political leaders and ‘cabals’ who are infinitely determined to feast fat on the wealth of the nation.
Can anyone tell me of any action(s) of the Nigerian government that you can truly say is beneficial to the average Nigerians? The health sector is not working. How about the NHIS where workers are charged and part of their money kept aside by this sector for full medical care? As we speak, there is a huge controversy concerning the sacking and reinstatement of the boss of NHIS. The minister of Health sacked him and the presidency asked him to call the minister’s bluff and go back to his job. Before his sack, the people who registered for this have always complained of how they were limited to medical care that could hardly take care of their health needs. Some complain of being given cheap drugs and certain health issues are not included the scheme.
The economic development programs created by every government that took power have never been implemented to the fullest. Billions of dollars allocated for projects often are not accounted for.
I hear our economic team {do we even have an effective economic team?} rave about having assigned banks to give out soft loans to interested Nigerians who want to start business in agriculture or technological sectors, but the zeal of would be benefactors are often dashed, put off by the bank’s demand of irrelevant documents or collaterals.
How about the zero interest for a stipulated period of time promised to them as well? How on earth can you ask someone who is asking for a loan of probably between 20-100 thousand naira provide properties worth 10million naira and above? If such a person has such type of money, you would not have met him or her in your bank begging for loan to start a small business.
Are the people in government who assured them of this loan not aware of this? Why can’t there be a non-bank flexible monetary facilities to take care of this transactions and make life easy for such Nigerians? Is it not possible? Of course it is but some people in Government must make some profit so,the poor Nigerians have to suffer for it or get the hell out.
Still on banks, how about stories of failed banks? How did the government treat failed banks each time this happened? When you hear failed banks, you might think, these banks lacked customers and had to close. No!! It actually means that, same people in this country with vested interest who hardly give care about the poor, had a good plan and looted all the money deposited by millions of Nigerians in their bank. These millions of Nigerians are mostly the poor who were saving for family up-keep, children school fees, medical expenses etc. Do you know how many people died out of shock when they discovered that all their life savings were gone after years and years of sacrifice savings?
Let us take a look at the Education sectors. A tour to most government owned schools in Nigeria will actually make some parents who cannot afford to send their children to private schools weep in the open. Poor facilities, poor security system { most times, no security at all} low standard of teaching techniques etc.
Talking about security in our schools, who will ever believe that after what happened with the chibok girls, the Nigerian Government went to sleep forgetting that book haram terrorists have not relented. With the latest abduction of Dapchi girls in Yobo State, February this year, it is very obvious there are no tight security guarding all girls colleges in the northern part of Nigeria which appears to be flash point in terror attacks.
One would expect that all female colleges, not only in the north but all over Nigeria will be heavily secured by. I do admire the Nigeria army. They are the best in Africa. If they can go to other countries and make things right there, why not in Nigeria? They are trying their best but there are powers to be who are keeping sealed lips and frustrating their efforts. What we have heard for long concerning the abduction of Dapchi girls were tales between the state governor and the Nigerian army arguing about withdrawing and not withdrawing security shortly before the incident until the girls were finally returned in a very dramatic way with the locals were cheering and hailing terrorists. Isn’t this ridiculous? As we speak Boko Haram is still calling the shots, doing their damage and the Nigerian Government has refused to mention and fish out the cabals sponsoring them.
How about the education sector and the academic staff union’s endless demands from the Federal government and strikes that keep the youths in the university for ten years instead of 3-5 before graduating? No one understands who is playing who in this cat and mouse race between the university associations and the government.
How about electricity? This is the worst sector for me personally. Dealing with them is like dinning with the devil. Every administration that takes over leadership mantle pumps in trillions of Naira and in the end, we get nothing? Still same epileptic and most times non supply of electricity all over the country with high rates of bills sent to Nigerians. Electricity bills sent to Poor citizens monthly by electricity companies’ officials who also most times harass citizens who query them. Why can’t electricity problems in Nigeria be fixed?
I am looking forward to waking up some day and seeing the youths of this country present a group of credible youths who can put their potentials into action.
Jacqui IWU is a Media Communications & PR strategist|A Life &Business Coach with passion for youth and women Economic/Social Empowerment. |Twitter- |@vivantjacqui|@Jacquiworld|#talkbacktobwj
