I still don’t understand the rationale behind Femi Otedola’s show of the cars he bought for his daughters, Dele Momodu’s show of the dinner he had with one of Big Brother Naija’s girls and Dino Melaye’s exhibition of his luxury home and cars.
I wonder what most rich Nigerians are thinking these days? I doubt, if they know the insinuation of their actions on an average Nigerian and the society.
The Central Bank of Nigeria has just suggested that the Nigerian economy will enter a V-shape recession in the 3rd quarter of 2020. Though this means the economy will enter and immediately exit the recession; but then, it still underscores the fact that things are not good for the economy, and that a large chunk of the people are poor.
While Nigerians are at this bad time, our so called rich men, believe it’s the appropriate time for them to oppress the people with their affluence. And worse still, the Buhari-led government also believes it’s the right time to increase both the electricity tariff and the pump price of petrol.
Just recently, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, sworn that there’s no going back on the water bill that’s before the National Assembly. If not for anything, at least, it means more burdens on the people.
Many Nigerians – employers and employees – are still nursing the wounds inflicted on them by the Covid-19 pandemic. So many employees have been sacked, many salaries have been cut by half and many businesses – small, medium and large scale – have shutdown indefinitely.
While these affected Nigerians are still running helter-skelter, moving from pillar to post, searching for survival, the Nigerian government and these people, I called “not-well-meaning Nigerians” continued to exhibit what I called ‘I-don’t-care’ attitude that’s further pushing the people to the precipice in this hard time.
A popular saying has it that “a hungry man is an angry man”. Another says “an idle mind is the devil’s workshop”. Already, the Nigerian society is at the verge of collapse, due to the harsh economy, sectional suspicion and crime. What this means is that there’s already a looming danger, and this oppressive attitude may further ignite and attract the worst of the society.
Even a blind man knows that the society is at a delicate stage, and that the people are angry, yet our so call government and the not-well-meaning Nigerians are insensitive to this. This indifferent attitude whether we agree or not, is fast heating-up the society.
It’s okay for some people to argue in defense of these not well-meaning Nigerians; like my friend Adex would say it’s their money, after all. But what Adex and so many other Nigerians didn’t understand is that all of these wealth and affluence being recklessly displayed have direct consequences on them. The truth is that none of these rich Nigerians or businessmen can beat their chests and say the government is not influential – direct or indirectly – to their businesses. Without mincing words, these people are the major culprits of corruption in the system. They short-change the system, distort the process and even twist the laws and policies for their selfish gains. And the implications of these are the many lacks of the society today. If we must asked ourselves how these reckless and extravagant lifestyles affect, relate or add value to us, we must appreciate the consequences of the actions of this so called rich Nigerians, who have over the years, benefitted from the system either by hook or crook, and still derive pleasure in displaying vain riches and wealth, on us. While they recently waste about 250-million-naira on some luxuries to sadly beautify and add glamour to the country’s dilapidated roads, and also use same as artifact in their sitting room, and shamelessly claiming it’s their hard earned money and proceeds of their hard-work, after all; a young, sane and hardworking Nigerian like Deji Bademosi finds insight in building blocks of classrooms and donated them to Ekiti State, to secure the future of the less privileged. Much the same wisdom is in the gesture of so many good Nigerians, with little or nothing, who often find joy in sharing the little they had with the less privileged other than one Big Brother Naija’s Miss. After all, they say to whom much is given, much is expected.
Truth be told, any society where such thrives always strives with insurgence, kidnapping, banditry, armed robbery, fraud and even corruption, especially with a generation that cherishes quick riches than hard work. No wonder, a popular song of this cohort suggests that “these rich Nigerians are not really extraordinary humans after all,” hence it doesn’t really matter anymore how one makes money, what’s important is making it big whether by hook or crook.
Take or leave it, it’s always difficult for any country or government with a messed-up population – leaders and followers – to achieve any meaningful socio-economic development; hence the only clear option is the deep social disorder, distrust and the inordinate quest for wealth, which has over the years highlighted the mindset that “every man is for himself”.
Georges Macnobleson-Idowu is a professional journalist and a result driven media content analyst. He writes from Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.
