The socio-economic fortunes of Nigeria continues the downward slide,
despite the present administration’s repeated assurances that it would
take steps to plug all visible and invisible leakages.
Truly, the bail out initiative of the Federal Government has gone a
long way in enabling state governments to clear the backlog of salary
arrears owed workers, however, governance has become epileptic in most
states, as the states grapple with paucity of funds.
In the private sector, companies are having a field day exploiting
helpless workers, who have no alternative, but to cope with their
employers’ slave labour tendencies.
Some states have abolished free education, as infrastructure in
schools deteriorate daily, with children increasingly developing dislike
for education.
Interestingly, concerned Nigerians are already promoting devaluation
of the Naira, as a way to accommodate the economic reality of the
present times.
The Nigeria Labour Congress(NLC) has ceaselessly lamented the ”unfair
treatment of Nigerian workers” and the unrealistic minimum wage that
has made workers ”to live in penury and suffer untold hardships”.
”On average virtually all aspect of Nigeria’s infrastructure are in
deplorable condition. The country is characterized by bad road networks,
constant power outage, lack of security, inadequate water supply,
unacceptable health facilities and declining education system, failing
communication networks and unstable economic growth”, the NLC noted.
Nigerians drift from one day to the other, unsure of what lies ahead.
For the Democratic Socialist Movement, President Muhammadu Buhari
”was voted to power, because he is seen not to be corrupt like other
pro-capitalist politicians and that he would fight corruption.
”The overwhelming mass of the people have the mistaken belief, that
corruption is the sole reason for Nigeria’s lack of infrastructure or
development, with its attendant backwardness. The reality is that, we
are where we are, because the capitalist system engenders massive
exploitation, lack of transparency, secrecy in management of funds and
monstrous bureaucracy and these are what makes corruption to thrive. But
fundamentally, the lack of Democracy in the management of public funds
sustains corruption, as a tiny clique of privileged capitalist
politicians and bureaucrats loot big, leaving many in constant state of
want, misery and poverty”, the Movement stated.
Indeed, gloomy faces of the people, abandoned projects and elusive
government officials characterize a sizable number of states in the
Federal Republic, as officials express impotent hopes of better days
ahead.
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