EVERYDAY PEOPLE

THIS THING CALLED POVERTY!

A DIRE SITUATION!

Written By Janet Odidi Obuotor.

The Nigerian saying; "Poverty a bastard!" Is so so true.

Hello Poverty, the vast majority of Nigerians have fallen into your cruel embrace. Suddenly, without a warning, you made them sign the dotted lines of 'UNHOLY' wedlock. 

Morning In Africa, An African Mother Going About Her Business For The Day - To Provide Food For Her Family. 

Our Dear Elected Leaders, Poverty is real.

There is hunger in the land, many are impoverished.  The dichotomy between the 'haves' and the 'have not' is widening. There is an upsurge in job loss among the working class. 

The business sector is also not spared, it suffers from;

1. A hostile business environment, made up of a lack of technical know-how and an extremely high cost of financing businesses.

2. A lack of funds for starting and sustaining businesses.

3. Poor electricity supply. 

Simply put, basic infrastructure is absent.

Furthermore, corruption, inflation and poor legislation all play a role in stiffening the economy. 

It is truly an alarming situation! 

Nonetheless, the saying goes life must go on;

The house rent must be paid.

The electricity tariffs loom. 

The water bills linger. 

The gas must be provided. 

The trash and sewer bills must be paid for proper waste disposal.

Subscriptions like cable TV, internet, security and phone services persist.

The tuition fees stare you in the eye. 

Our bellies grumble for food.

What about medical care?

We are indeed trapped in an economic quagmire of confusion. Confused because the solutions to our Nation's woes seem so simple to achieve. Yet so difficult to implement.

The image below depicts the poverty index in Nigeria today: 

                                           Image Credit: The Cable Index

As we step out in search of our daily bread, with hope for a better future, may our leaders step forward and do the right thing.

As we approach a New Year, a prayer to the creator we say:

"Our dear maker, never let this thing befall us, keep us financially, mentally, and emotionally stable, bless the work of our hands. Help us to provide and take care of our fellow humans in need. Keep it away from us, this thing called poverty."