People are suffering in Nigeria, leaders steal $billions

[Richard Akindele]

As the only wage earner in her family, Gloria Tanko provides for her three children and 10 of her nephews and nieces after she lost four siblings – one in an accident, three to AIDS.

Then there are her aging parents, as well as her only remaining sister who can't find a job and often relies on her for a little money. Gloria often finds it difficult to cope.

"The first death came when my brother had an accident in 2003. Then there were three sicknesses – all my three younger sisters and their husbands have died.

They have left behind 13 children. All are here living in my father's compound save for three who are with my brother's widow.

I am the only wage earner in the family. My basic salary is 20,000 naira a month [US $150]. It is not enough for our needs.

I get up every day at 5 a.m. By 7 a.m. I am leaving the house so that I am in the work place by 8 or 8.30 each day.

I work as a government health worker – I am a community health officer in an ante-natal clinic taking care of pregnant women.

If there is an emergency, someone in the family calls me and I have to rush back straightaway to help.

My father is over 70 and my mother is in her 60s. They have always been farmers. They still have a farm which they work, but it is not like before as their strength is not there.

Sometimes when my father gets up to go to the farm, he just picks up his hoe and starts crying because of what has happened.

There is no one helping me [financially], so I find it very difficult at times. At times I have had to go and beg at the school so that the children could stay in class until I get my salary.

My parents, too, if they have any small thing we put it together to help pay for their school fees.

Of the orphans, the oldest is 25, he helps on the farm, though he has only just completed his secondary school education. The youngest is five. All of the children are in school.

One of the older ones wants to go study more [beyond secondary school], but it depends what it costs. He may not end up studying what he wants, rather what I can afford.

My father worked hard to send me, my brother and my four sisters to school. He wanted us to be trained. He educated all of us.

He always dreamed of going to Jerusalem. But how can he now go to Jerusalem with all these orphans around?

There is nobody helping me. Only God, then myself."

Reuters

[Richard Akindele]

NIGERIA: Hear Our Voices - There is nobody helping the people, while Billions of $$ disappear into the pockets of a handful of rogue leaders.

With the free cash flowing into Nigeria from oil revenues, Nigerian citizens should be living more like Saudi Arabian citizens, not like Somalian.

Here are the richest countries in the world:

1 Luxembourg $ 55,100
2 Norway $ 37,800
3 United States $ 37,800
4 San Marino $ 34,600
5 Switzerland $ 32,700
6 Denmark $ 31,100
7 Iceland $ 30,900
8 Austria $ 30,000
9 Canada $ 29,800
10 Ireland $ 29,600
11 Belgium $ 29,100
12 Australia $ 29,000
13 Netherlands $ 28,600
14 Japan $ 28,200
15 United Kingdom $ 27,700
16 France $ 27,600
17 Germany $ 27,600
18 Finland $ 27,400
19 Monaco $ 27,000
20 Sweden $ 26,800

What do the dollar amounts represent?
That is the GDP per capita.

What the hell is GDP per capita?

[b]GDP[/b] is the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year. So, [b]GDP per capita [/b] is GDP divided by the population for the same year. Per capita simply means "per person".

For example, take the USA which is in third place on the list:

Population: 280 million.
GDP per capita: $37,800

It means the USA on the average produces 280 mil x $37,800 worth of goods and services per annum. That amounts to $10,584,000,000,000

That is $10.6 trillion worth of goods and services produced in America in one year.

What is Nigeria's GDP per capita?

It's a paltry $60. Compare that to Luxemberg's $55,100.

Why is there such a huge gap?
Because Nigeria doesn't produce any products and services. Most consumer products are imported into Nigeria, instead of our products being exported to other countries.

The reason for our lack of production ability is not because we don't have the money or the brains, it's because of greed at the upper level of government. We all know that story.

Rather than pour our oil income into research and development, to help us become a producing nation, the money is stolen instead.

Corruption and greed are the bane of the country's success. Until that cancer is removed, the nation is doomed.