Omonire Ovwigho Isaac.
I never wanted to do this; I never wanted to say this; I never wanted to come up with this to touch the hearts of those with human feelings and conscience just because I can make a little sentence. But I intend to this because the Nation is losing it under this dispensation.
Just about few days ago, I went to the pharmacy to get my health maintained. But do you know a minor maintenance (itching) costs me N11,550? Yes, I am the kind of person who cares more about his health. I can play with any other thing, but health, I don’t play with it no matter what.
And to eat, I couldn’t eat even when the house is stocked with food. I found it so difficult to eat. And to sleep, that became an issue.
There was a night my eyes were opened till dawn. I couldn’t sleep. And the following day, I went to a pharmacist and I told him that all I ever need is just to eat and sleep as I find it difficult to eat and to sleep. Then, he gave me medicine that costs N4,500 just to eat and sleep. Now, I pay just to get appetite to eat and just to sleep. And just within three days, I had already spent N16,550.00 on health maintenance alone. But before then, I was just wondering why I couldn’t eat, why I couldn’t sleep. I thought about it for a while and I couldn’t figure it out. But then, my mind went to the government of the day that the government gives me sleepless night that makes me lost my appetite.
And how can I even eat, when I think about those that find it difficult to eat under this predicament called president? How can I eat, when this predicament makes things difficult for the people? How can I eat, when people are losing their jobs and those without find it difficult to get one and they feel like a failure? How can I eat, when the cost of living has tripled and it also increases geometrically? That’s the reason why I couldn’t sleep. That’s the reason why I lost my apetite. That’s the reason why sleep and apetite refused to come. But I had to pay for them because I was left with no choice.
In a Nation with a population of over 180 million people, I can tell us with boldness that the people that have taken their breakfasts this morning, are not up to 10 million people. Some people are thinking of how to get anything called food to put in their stomachs once in a day, but it’s still not easy to get. Because what they bought N100 yesterday, is now being sold for N300 today under this predicament.
There was a day I was walking down the street of Musa Yaradua in Victoria Island, and an elderly man approached me and said to me, “my son, please I am hungry. I have not eaten since morning. I need food. I want to eat.” And I looked at his face and listened to the sound of his voice, and I couldn’t help myself but asked him, “Sir, please what do you want to eat?” And he said “swallow or bread and mineral”. But there’s no place for “swallow” around there. And we went to the nearby place to get him what he wanted to eat. And he thanked me. And same thing also happened at Sangotedo when a man that is already in his sixties approached me just to eat and nothing more. And I gave him N500. This thing called hunger, I don’t withstand it and I still cannot withstand it. That’s why I never pray for it. And that’s why, no matter how broke I am, but still have the least currency on me and I see someone that is hungry, I give it to the person to eat. That’s why God surprises me most times when I am broke. He sends people to my way to surprise me. And in another occasion, a man met me and said to me, “life is hard, I went to where we normally hustle to survive, but could you believe nothing for today? And now, I think about what to give to my children today. And I still do not even have transport fare to get home.” I just told him to enter vehicle and I paid for his transport fare. And these things called hunger and hardship are on the increase because of this predicament called president.
They promised to sell a litter of Kerosene the poor man uses to the people for N40. But how much is it being sold today? Is being sold N200 to N300! How about fuel they promised to sell for N50? It’s now N145 from the previous price of N85. How about garri that was being sold for N300? It’s now being sold for N1,000. Anything or everything under this predicament, has tripled and it’s still climbing. And the most painful thing is that, your take home doesn’t increase. They even slash people’s salaries. Some lost their jobs. And the employment they promised to tackle turned to losing of jobs. And the hailers still hail. But how can a N20,000 salary earner survive under the above analysis? How, is now the question no one cares to answer. Every good thing this predicament promised, turned against the masses. They promised the people security, but the people never knew it would be insecurity and genocide, religious and ethnic cleansing that would be championed by herdsmen and backed up with the support of National security as directed by the predicament called president. Everything or every blame ends on his desk, because he’s the head of the Nation.
Now, the majority of the people no longer think of clothing themselves but food. The people no longer think of driving cars, but how to feed their children. And we think the rate at which suicide increases is ordinary? The suicide currently taking place is as a result of the the irresponsible, visionless, directionless, I don’t care, useless and wicked government of the day. People now find it easy to rest in peace, instead of resting in pieces under this predicament. Crime rate also increases on the other hand.
They told us they’re fighting corruption and as such, the vast majority of the people who are poor should bear the consequences. They fight corruption to recover and then, re-loot it and that was why someone cut grass with N220 million. They buy dollar at N180 and sell it at N360 in this same nation at the expense of the citizens. And that is why the kunfu master of the corruption who’s fighting like Bruce Lee couldn’t give account of how much he’s recovered.
And if there is any lesson the people have ever learnt, it should be the lesson of paving way for a outdated man to be their predicament. This is a lesson the people would never forget in a hurry. It is a lesson where cows have more value than human’s lives; it is a lesson where cows are well fed, secured and protected than the people; it is a lesson where police have been politicized and that’s why the Yorubas were arrested alone over two fighting at Ile-Ife and then, the Inspector General of police came out and said “there is no tribe in crime”; it is a lesson where the defenceless IPOB members take the bullets from the armed military personnel; it is a lesson where the Niger-Delta, the strength of the Economy of the Nation is flooded with military because the people are pressing for their right; it is a lesson where the people that promised change, rig elections; it is a lesson where the president can send condolence message to faraway Germany because of Munich attack but couldn’t even say a word about the serious carnage in Southern Kaduna in his own country; it is a lesson where the president can send condolence message to U.K over three persons that died in suicide and even promised to give them help, but couldn’t say anything about the fifty people got killed in Benue within same period of the U.K’s attack. It is a lesson and a lesson and a lesson that the people would never forget in a hurry.
Thank you.
Omonire Ovwigho Isaac writes
from Lagos.
#IsaacOO.
