Without exaggeration, Nigeria is a kind of irony in many ways, on this particular tone, on the socio-economic aspect of living of about 140 million people or so, Nigerians in their relationship with their governments that suppose to provide welfare for the multitude citizens, they are paradoxically living in abject poverty amidst plenitude of resources, means and wealth, but which the governments fail to make these good things available, accessible and / or free for the people. In the midst of lack of basic and efficient capital infrastructures to enjoy, Nigerian masses are forced to live under pseudo-capitalist economy, fending everything for themselves.

While Nigeria ranks among the top seven to eight oil-rich countries in the world, ironically, Nigerian masses rank very high in terms of poverty and poor condition of living, with almost all the basic necessities of living such as potable and clean drinking water, medical services, food (nutritious food), shelter and housing, employment and clean and healthy environment are seriously lacking for the common man to benefit.

This particular situation is worse in the rural areas and villages that constitute more than 80 per cent of the country’s settlements. While some time in the past, the cities and townships were considered more habitable and life there was more feasible in view of the availability of some basic infrastructures which were then intact and functional. Presently however, the story is no longer the same. Apart from the fact that the urban centers are over populated and the basic amenities were over stretched for the needs of the ever increasing populace, these infrastructures are barely absent and unavailable now.

To start with, the very basic amenities for the generality of the people such as water supply electricity, education and food are simply never free or even affordable for average Nigerians. Everything in Nigeria is commercialized. One has to buy the water to drink in the name of the so-called “pure water”, which the government has failed to provide for him.

While the wealthy individuals purchase bottled water for their consumption, the commoners daily buy the sachet water to drink, in order to avoid contacting diseases from the well and pond water being peddled and bought for other domestic purposes, other than consumption.

Likewise, unlike in the past, one has to pay for the education of his children by sending them to private schools which are commercially oriented. The fact that public schools have almost collapsed and people have lost confidence in them, private schools have now become almost indispensable to ensure qualitative education for the students. While enrolled in the schools, items such as books, uniforms, and at times even sitting materials have to be bought and provided by the already poverty devastated parents.

Other bills such as that of purchasing medicines and drugs regularly for the family, buying of rodents and insecticides, paying for security beats being provided by the locally arranged vigilante groups are all additional burdens to an average Nigerian household. With the collapse of the Railways, cheaper transportation services for the masses are no more available in Nigeria. To cite an instance, for somebody to build an ideal house in Nigeria today, apart from consideration of the location or area, one has to equally think of ways to provide alternative sources of water either by digging a well or sinking a borehole to supplement major government so-called provided sources. Likewise, one has to make provision for alternative power source through providing a generator or any other means. As per security, the well-to-do proposed household would have to surround upper edge of the wall with barbed/electric wire, hire services of private guards and possibly get trained watchdogs and posses the latest firearms; all for the security of the house.

In a nutshell, there is virtually nothing which the authorities suppose to provide for the average Nigerian citizen to enjoy. Even in Europe, where the Economic system of most countries is capitalist as well as the existence of taxation in almost all aspects of endeavours, the tax-payers’ money was well utilized to provide the basic infrastructures as well as additional welfare services for free to the people.

In Nigeria, the reverse is the case and this emanates from the orientation of the two different leaderships in Nigeria and elsewhere. While in other countries leadership means being responsible to the people with the belief that the public funds and resources does not belong to the leaders, rather it has to be judiciously utilized for the general welfare of the populace, in Nigeria, both the leaders and the led tend to believe that the state funds and resources belong to the leaders and they can do whatever they like or spend it anyhow they feel, even to the extent of denying the citizens and the electorate their right share of the resources, through providing human welfare projects and services, to alleviate the life sufferings of the people.

As a result of this denial of peoples right to welfare in Nigeria, hence majority of the common masses were economically segregated in their own fatherland, with the opportune leaders and their cohorts availing themselves the wherewithal and means to fully enjoy everything in life to the maximum, such as education, health facilities, better feeding, better housing, ideal security of life and property as well as frequent international outings in form of tourism and leisure, all at the dispense of the vulnerable common Nigerian.

Still under the current situation there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel for the majority helpless masses to regain their conscience and move to secure their denied rights, not even at the polling booths, through voting for reliable political leaders and voting against the disreputable ones. It is also difficult for one to determine whether Nigerian Economic system is capitalist or otherwise. It can be better described as a typically selective and lopsided economy which favours some scanty cliques out of the dominant majority of the citizens.

ISA MUHAMMAD INUWA is a journalist in Kano.