By Denrele Animasaun

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.” — John F. Kennedy

It has long been established that Nigeria is a country of extremes. Many of its appellations is not worthy of praise nor its citizens got much to be proud of lately. I know Jonah brought out his score card and gave his administration a pass. Well, I am sure those who mark their own score sheet are biased and they would do so dishonestly, especially if they are failing miserably. The facts speak for itself; too many Nigerians have never had it so bad and it is unlikely to change their lot any time soon, unless this government can honestly acknowledge like the other administrations before it; they are squandering our national wealth.

According to the Financial Times, Nigeria’s GDP has increased by an average of 7 per cent for the past decade but poverty rates only declined slightly from 64.2 per cent to 62.6 per cent. The level of unemployment has risen, with Nigeria ranking 153 out of 186 countries in the 2013 according to United Nations Human Development Index.   To think Nigerians accounts for 18% of the continent’s total population; we are a sizeable number and should something go wrong, and I pray it does not, we will overwhelm our neighbours with sheer size of displaced people!

The World Bank stated that “Job creation in Nigeria has been inadequate to keep pace with the expanding working age population”. Well, that figures doesn’t give the true picture of the situation. The maths does not add up as the official unemployment rate indicates that there is an increase from 12 per cent of the working age population in 2006 to 24 per cent in 2011. This steep climb continues to rise and in some parts of the country like, up north, the working age population are as high as 70% to 80% are unemployed, not in training or in education. So what is the government doing to tackle the great divide in unemployment level? With a third of the population without any opportunity or means to work themselves out of poverty when would they tackle the deficit?

When I was growing up there was at least some distinction of some sort the working class, middle class and the seriously rich. Alas, it seems that was a lifetime away. It was inspirational then to strive to better your lot but now it is a pipe dream out of reach or many as people eke subsistence living. What relevance is it to the ordinary man on the street?

People cannot think that far  ahead other than living from day to day. We know that work-productive work- is good for your emotional and physical well-being and if one is without work for a prolong time, one looses one’s confidence and self-esteem and gradually, it begins to affect one’s health. There is no motivation and eventually resentment grows especially towards others who are more fortunate.

A lot of young peoples’ frustration then manifest destructively in negative activities because of lack of direction and aspiration. Why is Nigeria haemorrhaging, losing its future potential of wealth and yet it is blatantly obvious that most states and the FG, for that matter, have systematically negated their duties by restricting and diverting funds earmarked for education, health, training and employment for young people to improve their lives? Majority of these young people are on a self-destructive trajectory without any positive intervention. With  rural  poverty so close to 51 million of the general population it is about time we acted and fed our nation before there is nothing left for the  poor but to eat the rich!.

In the UK, the leaders of the G8 members met to discuss on how to reduce poverty to half by 2030. It is no mean feat but at least people are talking and giving materials and money to affect change. Most children in Nigeria go to school, I have been told, without having breakfast and they  may  be  lucky  to  have  a meal  in  school  or  have  to  wait later in the  day to  have  a  meal. The 1-0-0 or 0-1-0 is practised as a matter of fact and this is the reality in and around the country today. Research has shown that a student deprived of food cannot concentrate in school, they become malnourished, it also stunts their growth and physical development, not to talk of other emotional deficit the child is likely to develop and susceptibility to diseases and opportunistic infections as a result.

We remain quite deluded in our little corners with our blinkers on, convinced that unless someone puts a begging bowl in hand then, that people are not experiencing abject hardship. I know people find it difficult to admit that they are financially incapable of coping. We as people do not like losing face but we rather pretend everything is fine when in fact we are desperately in dire need. We need to look beyond the veneer, bravado. That we lack humanity in relating to our fellow Nigerians. It has been so long ago people help one another. Now even the Government wants absolute gratitude for providing its citizens with the essentials of living. We cannot expect adulation and exaggerated gratitude for what we should be prepared to do for the good of our country and the future generations.

No one is naive to think poverty can be swept away with all the greatest will in the world; poverty will always exist but we can help make a difference so that it is doable.

Poverty  is everywhere in the world  but we cannot  afford to turn our face and  pray that  it  will  go  away, it  won’t and not doing anything about it is not an option.

 Tribute -Abibat, mother of all
I have heard and seen Alhaja Abibat Mogaji long before Bola Ahmed Tinubu happened on the scene. She was Iyaloja of Lagos before she became the Iyaloja General of Nigeria. She was active and articulate. Because of that anybody who needs the voice of the women and traders had to have her hearing. In the turbulence of Nigeria- the Banbagida/Abacha era, she was being consulted and she went to Abuja for a number of times.

Abibat became more prominent when Ahmed Bola Tinubu first became a Senator of the Republic, then he went into exile abroad and finally emerge the Governor of Lagos and the Kingmaker of the West. Abibat’s contribution was immense. A quiet worker: what she says, goes and her home became the Mecca of most Lagosians who wanted some of the actions.

Abibat was the mother of all of them. She might not have been an amala politician in the sense of Adedibu but her generosity was legendary.

And she could keep secrets. And some of them we will learn in due course. Many people know Bola as the son of Abibat. She was more than that. She weaned him, trained him and taught him some of the worldly wisdoms. She probably taught Bola to be respectful of the elders and to give as much as he can to the needy and wayfarers. She probably thought him to be straight forward and truthful. Abibat died at 96 going to 97. And she died among her children in the midst of love and affection.

We will all miss her.
— Kola Animasaun