The politicians live (and comfortably too), the workers exist (on insufficient stipends), and the rest of us simply manage to survive amidst unbearable economic hardship in a nation that should, by all accounts, have no business with hardship for any of its citizens.
Nigeria is a country abundantly blessed by God with highly sought-after mineral resources. Yet, these resources are being illegally mined—often with the assistance of murderous bandits—and smuggled out of the country by unpatriotic rulers, who unfortunately dominate the leadership of the nation.
This is not to say Nigeria lacks genuine business moguls, such as the Dangotes, the BUAs, the Adenugas, the Ezes, the Elumelus, the Mangals, and others who are thriving in the country. They certainly exist, but they are in the minority when compared to the so-called leaders and top politicians who make up a significant portion of the country’s inexplicably wealthy individuals.
At both the federal and state levels, top politicians—especially those in the National Assembly (NASS) or state assemblies—receive enormous sums of money as salaries and allowances.
This doesn’t even include the so-called constituency project allowances, most of which are either not implemented or, in the few cases where they are, are executed just for the sake of appearances, not for any genuine public benefit.
The huge, but unjustifiable, salaries collected by lawmakers at these two tiers range from N21 million to N19 million for federal lawmakers, and between N10 million to N4 million for state lawmakers. Many of these lawmakers are mere benchwarmers, waiting for the end of each month to collect their exorbitant salaries and allowances.
As for the President, the Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, ministers, and their counterparts at the state level, only God knows the staggering amounts they walk away with at the end of every month. The amounts are so large that even these officials themselves may not be able to keep track of how much they take home.
On the other hand, workers at both levels must be content with a paltry sum of N70,000 per month. This amount isn’t even enough to buy a bag of rice—whether foreign or local—and barely sufficient to buy nine tubers of yam in Lagos State. And that’s not to mention other household necessities, particularly in homes with small children, who will consume even the NOTHING that isn’t available.
Yet, even at N70,000 a month, many states claim they are unable to meet this obligation, though there always seems to be enough money to embezzle from the national coffers for personal gain. Meanwhile, ordinary workers must continue to show up for work, or risk receiving a query or even being sacked—especially if their superiors have personal grievances against them.
The rest of the population, minus the business moguls or otherwise successful businesspeople, are left to fend for themselves. However, they still have to frequent the same shops, markets, and supermarkets as the workers and some of the lawmakers. The ultra-wealthy, of course, are “too important” to do such menial tasks and employ paid house helps to handle their chores.
Those who are not employed in government or any other form of work often resort to begging or criminal activities. Some individuals even go so far as to sacrifice fellow citizens, including, in some instances, their own parents, for ritual purposes—all in a bid to “make it” and live life in the fast lane.
Others engage in smuggling, either bringing goods into or out of the country (as is often the case), to quickly make easy money and present themselves as “successful” businesspeople in a society that rarely questions the source of wealth. In fact, we often celebrate, and even worship, those who have “made it.”
A few individuals, unable to cope with the harsh conditions of life, resort to suicide, some of whom express their frustrations with life’s unbearable challenges before taking their own lives.
All of this is happening in a country overflowing with abundance, where there should be enough to go around—even if not equally distributed—if only we had the spirit of being our brother’s (and sister’s) keeper. Yet, so-called leaders in every corner are busy enriching themselves from the public purse.
May God save this country and its citizens from the clutches of want, poverty, hunger, and anger.
Labaran wrote from Katsina.
