Professor Abubakar Muazu
In most cultures in Nigeria, helping others is a healthy and valuable practice. Those who have, not necessarily the wealthy individuals, find satisfaction in giving out the little they have to relations, neighbours, friends and those who express difficulties in one way or another. Those who receive are not necessarily opportunists ready to exploit the kindness or goodness of others. They thrive to earn a living for themselves or their families, relations, neighbours and acquaintances. However, it is evident that there are many who have it hard to extend the help that they used to. They are also under pressure of meeting the needs of their families.
One group of people in desperate need of help are people who have gone through disastrous situations caused by criminal activities such as the terrorism and banditry across many Nigerian states and the natural displacement caused by flooding. While the Federal and State Governments responded to address the challenges faced by the affected Nigerian citizens, there are still.many that are in the difficulties of having to fend for their families. These are people going through tough times.
Again, there is the troubling sight of largely children and young persons on the streets of urban areas roaming aimlessly. They are found in groups near junctions, traffic light points, restaurants and shops. They intermingle with some physically challenged persons. They compete for alms or loose change from anyone seen to be driving a vehicle, going to eat or buy food from a restaurant or buying items from shops. They ask for money to buy food, slippers, soap, etc. In most cases, they hardly get the help they need because most people claim that they are handicapped by lack of physical cash. These are people going through tough times.
Many workers, earning a salary are under pressure from three points. The workers are under immense pressure to provide food for their families, grappling to pay tuition fees for their children. They are in a situation where they have to practice the economic principle of opportunity cost. Providing food has become a pressing necessity. It does not have to be a balanced diet as in this troubling economic times, any food can do.
While the family is struggling to survive, the worker comes under pressure from meeting the demands of relations. It is tough meeting the demands of extended family members, with their large families too. A few selected hard hit family members get some little help. But this opens the door to a floodgate of requests for help: food, clothing, rent, school fees, medicines, etc. which the salary earner may make but only insignificant sacrifice to support relations in need.
Neighbours also make their own demands just like relations. The needs are the same for all categories having to meander to eke out a living. They visit their supposedly comfortable neighbour,, in the spirit of good neighbours requesting help. Some neighbours seek support to cope with the economic difficulties they are facing. In some cases, the neighbour may be the junior office worker requesting their senior colleagues to support them.
The pressure that people are going through and meandering to survive in these hard times is troubling. Phone calls from long not seen friends or relations come with requests for help. In most cases, there is nothing that the person they are appealing to can do. Yet, some people are able to squeeze and provide what little help they can to others. However, the requests are many and widespread. How are our politicians, technocrats and well to do persons managing these miasma of demands?
These are indeed tough times. What needs to be done to ease the pressure, engage people in productive activities and redirect the economy towards production to promote a culture of self-reliance?
Professor Abubakar Mu’azu is a lecturer with the Department of Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri.
