POVERTY: THE CLOG ON NIGERIA'S PROGRESS, GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT.

The major problem in Nigeria is poverty. This is the reason many Nigerians want to get wealth at all cost leading to high degree of man inhumanity to man in our society and government. It goes beyond han nature in Nigeria. Think about it: Why do people who have been favoured to be in position where they are saddled with me sing the wealth of the society to better the lot of the people end up stealing?

Many families broke away from poverty with pain and anger that they end up venting on the general public. Many in academia rose to academic success through poverty,societal denial and struggle. Many politicians became what they are today through class struggle and poverty. Many business owners became what they are today through tough wrestling with poverty. Many big conglomerates in Nigeria today are owned by people who one way or the other have tasted poverty. Above all,many leaders in Nigeria today have tasted one aspect of poverty and the other. Even many of those who brag to be wealthy now or display high degree unquenchable affluent in public today making it seem that they have not seen poverty must have had poverty conquered by their parents or grand parents and in some cases,great grand parent. The connection is that most parents always relate their poverty stories with their children and so,if the parents did not go weird about their experience,the children out of pain and pity end up operating on a selfish and wicked level they were not sent by their parent. The truth is that our nation was structure to build greed ,selfishness and the spread of poverty from the onset. It was a class struggle among our colonial masters and our glorified independence heroes. The reason behind the survival of the fittest norm in our society like lower animal. From the foundation of Nigeria at independence there was no love but competition till date amongst all the regions and subregions.

How do we conquer this poverty and make our nation great:

1. Government: We determine the kind of government we have. We must first realise the purpose of our existence as a nation. Why are we together? How do we want to be seen amongst committees of nation? What are our differences ,weaknesses ,strength as a people and how do we use these attributes to our advantage? What kind of constitution do we want? All these can be achieved through referendum or restructuring. The competition need to be stopped because it's getting us deluded and spreading poverty.

2. Education: Every family must struggle amidst poverty to get education for their children. Its the greatest weapon.

3. Religion/Culture: The religious,cultural and traditional groups should focus on salvation and morals rather than wealth that's making the polity,government and education more polluted. When moral values and salvation spread, there will be good government,reduction in illiteracy and improvement in our standard of education and overall drastic reduction in poverty and competition.

Poverty is our biggest problem and even the most materially and financially rich politician in Nigeria is mentally poor because his major focus is how to share money to the people in order to win election. No nation develops or grow with such practices.

We need to define our purpose as a nation because a purposeless life is not life.

May God bless Nigeria.

Happy Eidel Mubarak.

Akande Akin Sanyaolu
www.aasanyaolu.blogspot.com