Nigeria: A Retrogressing Giant of Africa

Babalola Yusuf Abiola

Nigeria is always regarded as the giant of Africa but the questions on Nigerians lips is, is Nigeria truly the giant of Africa?

Nigeria is a country that is blessed with numerous human, material and natural resources but the populace believed that their leaders failed to harness these resources for the betterment of every citizen as some groups of people are sitting on what is meant for everybody.

According to them, Nigeria is a country where nothing works; every sector is in disarray, from the education sector where hardly do we have a year without strike in the country ivory tower, hence reducing the standard of education to the aviation sector where leaders inadequacies has led to loss of lives of patriotic Nigerians.

The health sector is also a sector that need quick intervention as best hands in the health sector has gone abroad to seek for better welfare package and condition of service therefore leaving average Nigerians who cannot afford oversee treatment at the mercies of depressed medical personnel that have been overstretched due to the numbers of patients they are to see daily.

The sport sector that is supposed to be a place for grooming sporting talents is also in comatose, little wonder the country recorded abysmal failure in the just concluded London Olympics, the once feared football team in the world is now an object of mockery among emerging football playing nations due to poor management of resources.

Nigeria roads is the worst hit as they are worst than that of war torn countries, and it is regarded as the third most deadly road to ply in the world, to collaborate this statement virtually every day we lost lives of innocent Nigerians who met their untimely death because the political leaders they voted into power refused to do what they voted them in to do.

But to some Nigerians who have travelled abroad they believed that citizens’ friendly policies are formulated in other African countries like Ghana, South Africa and Liberia than it is in Nigeria.

According to Chinedu, a Nigerian that has travelled round the world, he said “I have travelled to five African country, five European countries, one Asian country and one North American Country.  I have not seen countries so un-organized like Nigeria.

He continued “there are many countries in the world that do not have any natural resources but are living, paying their university students and paying their people it is only Nigeria that we have numerous natural resources still we are suffering.

 Benin Republic have steady powers supply  they have no recognized Natural Resources, they are only surviving by seaport, free importation what  about Togo nothing but they are paying their university students,  there is 24 hrs powers.

“I have been to Ivory Coast, I spent many years there no power failure they have only Nescafe that is cocoa which Nigeria has abandoned.  I have also been to guinea Bissau and they have only cashew  but they are  living well paying everybody what about guinea konacre they have steel, but Nigeria have steel more than them we have Ajaokuta steal, Enugu coal steel but we refused to maximize the potentials.

Similarly, Chinedu who is also referred to Mr. Traveler said he has been to The Gambia where they only maximize their sea and have been able to turn it into a tourist centre where tourists come from around the world.

Speaking further, he said, Cameroun have only Banana, plantain and crude oil that is not up to what we have in Nigeria, the leaders in that country are also corrupt but they are living well.

“I have been to Libya I spent years there they are living comfortably that is the only Country that have no poor man  ‘how do I mean by that’, the person that are called poor man is somebody that have a Car, but  one thing about that Country is that almost everybody has his own tractors for farming.

“Nigeria has over forty natural resources but people are suffering, no regular power supply there has never being a week that the power supply is not interrupted. It is only in Nigeria that when Abule Egba have power, Sango will not have power.

Chinedu disclosed that when Nigerians travelled abroad, immigration and police officers disrespect Nigerians abroad asking what they are always doing in foreign countries when their country is blessed by God.

According to him “it is only in Nigeria you will see policemen extorting money from innocent Nigerians it is not done like that in civilize society. It is only in Nigeria that we do not have government house or properties for the average citizens but subsidized government properties are available in North African countries. 

“Nigeria wants to reduce the price of cement then I asked myself are we producing cement, No, but we have a business man that is enjoying the backing of the government to do that. When will government start subsidizing the price of cement for it to be affordable to Nigerians?

“In some countries it is the government that fixed price of products you buy in government price it will not go up rather it will come down because government is taking care of the price but a country like Nigeria put everything in the hands of shylock business man that is ready to reap Nigerians to the bone.

 

•  Accident caused by bad road
  

“Nigeria is a country where you cannot sit down with your leaders not even the so called councilors, the day they become elected that is when they alienate themselves from Nigerians but abroad you sit down with colonels, presidents and tell them your problems,” he concluded.