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13 Dec 2012

WHAT ALTERNATIVE IS THERE FOR THE COMMON MAN?

It is no news that jobs are not available in Nigeria. The harsh reality today in Nigeria is that due to stagnation and retrogression of the economy, companies are retrenching workers. Companies are either dying or relocating and moving out of Nigeria as a result of the unfavourable business environment. As the companies die
or leave the shores of Nigeria, they are taking away their jobs. Jobs are being lost, while new ones are not being created. And where some jobs are even created, they are like drops of water in an ocean.
In the midst of this grim reality, thousands of graduates are being churned out of the fiery furnace of our tertiary institutions. Whether they are fully baked or half-baked is a topic for another day.
A serious government would have made it a top priority to create more jobs by stimulating the economy through policies and laws that would result in productivity. This plan would also incorporate the task of restoring and improving our educational system, with a view to producing graduates that are functional and productive.
The reality in Nigeria today is that, rather than creating jobs and making life better for the people, government at all levels continue to find ways to frustrate the common man, the kontriman, by taking the menial jobs that that he does or has created for himself to survive in the guise of development and creating befitting cities.
The major issue is that any development where man is not central to it is no development at all, and is bound to fail. While we understand that security, beauty and organisation are central, the welfare of man is critical and should not be sacrificed on any altar. Jobs and opportunities must be created to replace the activities and endeavours that are considered as not appropriate and have thus been taken away from the kontriman.
Mention must be made of the fact that nothing functions in a vacuum. Nigerians only resort to these inappropriate jobs because there is no alternative, as none of them would do such odd jobs if there were better options.
The harsh reality and ugly truth is that Nigerians are suffering in the midst of plenty. So when you ban okada, destroy petty shops, ban hawking, and ban carts (we are hearing they might soon ban trekking) and you do not create alternatives (talk less of viable and reasonable ones), you are simply issuing a death sentence on the people.
As for people who manage to set up businesses, they are harassed with outrageous taxes and are subjected to harrowing experiences from government officials. It is for this reason that most businesses do not last.
In our opinion, it would be beneficial to government if small businesses grow and survive. This position is premised on the fact that these businesses in the long run would create jobs and pay taxes.
Life is a serious struggle in Nigeria. What alternative is there for the common man?

2 comments:

  1. Life is really a serious struggle in Nigeria; living as a second class citizen in your fatherland as if in another nation. And we talk of discrimination! May God help us. People need to start making their positions known and taking a stand through mediums like this.
    We pray and hope that one day, very soon, our voices will be heard.

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  2. Our leaders are totally cut of from realities of our time,the only care for themselves and want the poor to continue in suffering,when the ban okada ban hawking,demolish markets without alternative masses are rendered jobless leading to hardship in various homes,some resulting to robbery,prostitution,yahoo yahoo and all sort of vicese to make a living, while lamata is busy using 40m to build a single brt bus stop,billion of naira to plant flower,recruiting of touts to dehumanise the masses,tolling of our roads without good alternative.we as nigerian people should wake up from our slumber and demand for good representation and accountability from our rulers.

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