S.O.S ALIEME

My message today is for those in position of authority like our President, the State Governors, Local Government Chairmen, Ministers, Commissioners, Local Government Councillors, Senators, Members of House of Representatives, Members of State Houses of Assemblies, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants, and Politicians in general.  Today you are at the helm of affairs in this country and you make life so miserable for the poor masses.  You allocate every good thing of life that can make one lives comfortably and wealthy to yourself.  If life is so miserable for the down trodden, remember that there is life after death.  Whatever I say now may not have any meaning to you but remember that whatever you sow, so shall you reap.

To you, this is meaningless. You continue to increase the price of fuel every day, the poor cannot afford three square meals in a day, schools are not affordable for the poor but your sons and daughters are graduating from the best foreign universities all over the globe. You fly out to foreign lands to receive best medical attention while our Nigerian hospitals are glorified clinics. You cannot risk to visit Nigerian hospitals when you are sick because they are underfunded and lack modern day facilities.  Remember there are consequences for bad behaviour. Imagine a single individual using Nigeria’s money to become the richest man in Africa but back here in his home country, the oppressed are more than the rich. Politics in Nigeria should be about service, politicians should not be paid salary but stipend because Nigeria is a poor country. The Yoruba adage will say ‘a rich man in the family of the poor is also considered a poor man’.

Many Nigerians are feeling the pain as they can no longer eat twice a day due to high commodity prices. The majority of Nigerian consumers do not bother anymore about what food they eat; the target is to survive the prevailing economic situation, hoping that the situation will improve. Many other Nigerians now buy fewer quantities of consumables due to the prevailing high commodity prices in the market. There are some questions that need the attention of government in Nigeria.  What are the measures put in place by government to make Nigerians feed themselves? What is the difference between hunger and anger?  Is hunger so mean that the government consider it a laughing matter?  These are sensitive issues that the government will have to provide answers to.  Everybody knows that things have fallen apart in our food production as we are not producing enough to feed our citizens.  The inability of Nigeria to produce enough, led to the importation of over 80% of the country’s food need, we are a consuming nation with foreign taste thereby wasting our meagre foreign reserves on food importation even when we can produce them in our arable land.

It is imperative to ask the government to tell the nation the number of farms they have visited since assuming office in a bid to interact with local farmers. Government representatives should have visited farms and see if our local farmers are doing well and would have known there is a problem in the Agricultural sector. The government representatives should have visited the markets and see how exorbitant our foodstuffs are and out of reach of the common man. Food shortage and hunger have resulted in the incidence of malnutrition and kwashiorkor among citizens. Food problems have forced some Nigerians to engage in social vices. These social vices include ethnic-religious conflicts, armed robbery, prostitution, child- trafficking, corruption, kidnapping etc. A hungry man is an easy target for selfish members of the bourgeoisie who would buy their services for a price to foment anarchy within the society.

The most worrisome about the state of the nation is that clearly our governments do not have a direction of reviving the economy. Frequent policy somersaults and double speak are their weapons of deceits. Too bad! National interest should supersede personal and party interest. Unfortunately the country has been so polarized that political inclination is now like a religion. They are spending time thinking about the next election while enjoying bagpipes and ceremonial welcome. What a waste!  For how long are we going to wait before things will change for better?  What a shame!!!

People now trek to their different destinations to make ends meet. It should be noted that businesses are going down thus bringing hardship to the people. This is not a palatable thing at all, as people who cannot find alternative have died. It has really affected a lot of people as so many businesses are closing down because of this situation. Attendance at Church services has reduced drastically. Where are we going? Some people may not be able to recover from this experience because many businesses are shutting down.

A lot of issues are happening here and there in Nigeria.  Acts like banditry, kidnappings, terrorisms, political mess, culture defamation, totalitarianism, deceit, lies, name them, and the list is unending. Despite years of growth, Nigeria has also seen a huge increase in the number of people living in poverty. The Nigerian economy is growing from bad to worse and if the government fails to address the issue properly then the citizens are in for a hard time.  It is no gainsaying that life is becoming unbearable to Nigerian citizens. 

A man once sat at the peak of power, wealth, and influence in Nigeria. He served as a State Governor, and years later, rose to become the National Chairman of a popular political party. Beyond politics, he was a towering figure in Nigeria’s business landscape, a former CEO of a conglomerate, a seasoned international businessman, and the Chairman of different Businesses in Nigeria. He dined with kings, presidents, and captains of industries across Africa and beyond. But today, this is his reality, he is frail, aged, and facing the inevitable struggles of old age and health. This is the message life is showing us: Everything fades. Power fades. Position fades. Wealth fades. Beauty fades. Strength fades. All that remains are your deeds, your character, and the way you treated others. No human being can escape the cycle of life. It is humbling. It is scary. It is a reminder. So while you still have breath and strength: Live humbly. Love sincerely. Do good without expecting anything. Fear God. Remember that no one leaves this world with anything. May God grant us a graceful living, sound health, and a peaceful end. Amen

God Bless Nigeria!!!