Analysing Nigeria’s Economy From a Layman Perspective

Analysing Nigeria’s Economy From a Layman Perspective
It is very difficult or impossible for a layman like me to give a professional and objective analysis of the Nigeria’s economy. I was a ‘run away’ economist. I was offered admission to read Economics in Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria but due to some problems I switched over to Mass Communications. And now I find myself where I am today. Although this is not relevant to my discussion but I have to bring it here because of what transpired between me and a woman (a mother to me in fact). I will not mention her name because she is a public servant.
I met this woman accidentally and she gave me a shock of my life. I entered her office to confirm something, but when I told her I am a journalist she did not waste time, as if she was waiting for a man called journalist to outpour what was inside her. She just looked at me and said ‘you people are the problem of this country’. I thought Hajiya was joking and I was about to turn and leave the office when she instructed me to sit down.
She told me that all what we have been doing for the past 3-4 decades ago was built on lies, deception and satisfying the interest of few politicians. She said no country in this world can progress without tackling its real problems. She said journalists succeeded in building the foundation of our democracy, but have failed in their approach to our real problems – poverty, killer diseases, and general lack of basic amenities. According to her Nigerians have been taking for a ride since after the departure of first generation politicians.
Whether she was doing that on purpose or she wanted to pass a message that is exactly what I don’t know. But what this elderly woman told me about the condition of Nigeria’s civil service made me feel sorry for the generations to come. One might be absolutely skeptical, but to me unless serious measures are taken and urgently, civil service in Nigeria will be a thing of the past. Hajiya gave examples of eminent people who served this country and diligently but today they can’t afford a decent living, because they have not amassed wealth when they were in office, coupled with poor pension service.
Many public servants gave their lives, family and everything to keep the machinery of government working but today most of them (unless they steal enough) are languishing in poverty. Their pension is uncertain and even if it comes it won’t take them more than a day. Therefore a civil servant is faced with numerous problems.
First if he is working in state government he has to publicly announce his 100% loyalty to party in power. He should also as a matter of fact steal enough from the public coffers to secure his future, if not he will end up facing a humiliating retirement. Remember still the minimum salary of a state government staff is N5000. A bag of maize cost over N6000; that was the last time I entered market. For goodness sake how do you expect this man to survive? Remember he has as many as dependent relatives from his extended family.
He has his children to take care of; their feeding, school fees and medical bills plus miscellaneous expenses not budgeted for. That is a Nigerian civil servant. How on earth can our economy move where the purchasing power of more than 95% of Nigerians is below 1%. If in doubt, just stroll out of your house and ask the first ten people you meet on the road on how much were they able to spend that day.
One other thing that Hajiya told me was the issues of disparity in salary structure, the people with a chance to steal are obtaining fat salary. Permanent secretaries according to her are collecting N450000 a month which is the annual salary of a director in the ministry. She said as long as this continues there is no hope for eradicating poverty in this country. People’s purchasing power has to be improved, if someone collecting N47000 a month cannot solve his immediate problem then think of the one I said collecting N5000. It is a simple arithmetic, for someone who has three children in the university, every year he has to part with nothing less than N115000 for school fees. Then he should prepare food for them which has to be every other day. An average of N20,000 for each per semester that is N60000 per head. Then that multiply by three and plus N115000 earlier stated.
Tell me how many people in this country can afford to do that? Remember I have not said anything about, may be, unforeseen circumstances of illness, PHCN bills, day to day activities and dependent relatives who always come to you for help when you least expect them. I reflected on all these problems highlighted by Hajiya after leaving her office. It was then that I realized that Nigeria has a long way to go.
Journalists and writers alike are busy highlighting Yar’adua’s health, whether he is fit to rule us or he should be replaced, or government of national unity or Buhari’s case in court, while on the other hand some people are there pursuing their job honestly but dying in silence. Unless we shift our attention to our real problems we will continue repeating mistakes upon mistakes and succeed in leaving behind bad legacies in history books.
Kabiru Danladi,
Lawanti Village,
KM25, Along Gombe-Bauchi Road,
Akko LGA, Gombe state.
Kblondon2003@ahoo.com