THE IDEAL SOCIETY

Is there any society that is ideal? I mean a perfect one devoid of corruption and lawlessness. The answer undoubtedly is no but we do know that some nations of the world have these beneath them and these are not really significant issues they confront.

Over the years, the number one cause of underdevelopment in our society is corruption. That is, if we could point our fingers at an entity.

We all know how much we suffer in terms of poor social infrastructure, unemployment of our teeming youths, and poor delivery of services, amongst others.

 Just to mention what Abraham Maslow talked about in 1943 when he proposed the theory of human motivation which is best pictured as a pyramid with the largest and most fundamental levels of need at the bottom and the need for self-actualization at the top.

I will dwell more on the most fundamental levels of need which are physiological needs that are vital for survival such as water, air, food and sleep.

In the Nigeria of today, even the most wanted needs are scarce. Not so many people feed well. Only a few can boast of 3-4 meals per day. Even when these are available, they are not nutritious, affordable and high in quality unlike what obtains in the developed nations where poverty of food almost does not exist. Just in traces.

The same is for water which is supposed to be portable, running from taps and disease-free. That’s why the scourge of water diseases is on the increase.

On the issue of security, we all know what we face as citizens and the things that are not ideal have become ideal. For instance, just because we need protection from hoodlums and armed robbers, we use burglary proofs on our windows which even the town planners don’t include in their planning because they know it is wrong. This is dangerous in case of fire outbreaks when one needs to escape.

I would have loved to expatiate on other security challenges but will just have to mention them. We hardly see fire alarms on our buildings and the emergency services are poor when the services of the fire brigades are needed.

Still on security, we hardly report crimes and assaults on individuals, report of suspicious movements in the neighborhood and so on. Even when such attempts are made to report, there are no efficient call codes for the citizens to report and our police stall in their responses. The police and defense system have been compromised over the years. They take bribes openly. Many Nigerians have lost their lives in an argument with the police. In developed nations, police have the respect of their citizens because they deliver quality services. Unlike our society, they do not move about with guns and they still maintain law and order.

Other security challenges are the porous borders across the country, incessant attacks on innocent citizens by terrorists and other similar groups.

On our judiciary, I know we are improving but there is still a lot to do. We all see and hear of how election results are being changed and how tribunal officials, judges and electoral officials are being bribed. Corruption has eaten deep into the fabrics of our society. It has affected the young and the old. School politics has turned into a personal money making venture. Every individual wants to hold a post because of the monetary gain. It should be a service to your organization or nation. In societies where there is law and order, you can’t steal public funds and go away with it.

 In conclusion, I will like to end this piece on awareness creation. We do not create adequate awareness in our society. We have only made it a yearly thing where people gather and mark such events. We are supposed to enforce them daily or weekly for the betterment of our society so that we can be more informed and productive. What are our national televisions and radios there for? They are not just for commercials and soaps. What are the various types of awareness that need to be created? We have so many areas on Health, Education, and Society.

On Health, there is need to inform people on the regular and routine medical checkup, once or twice a year, genotype and HIV status before marriage etcetera.

Societal and social issues like the use of seat belts, proper waste disposal, obedience of traffic rules, prevention of environmental pollution, proper care for animals and not allowing them stray the streets.

Now, we can look back at our society and judge. Is it anywhere near ideal? I just want us to imagine how lives can be better for the citizens where everybody that finishes from school is sure of employment, a society where citizens have health insurance and can pay hospital bills, where people can afford to feed and clothe themselves, where there is stable electricity to enhance productivity and adequate transportation by road and rail, a society where there is law and order, an ideal society for all.

THE NEED TO REVIVE NIGERIA'S AILING HEALTH SYSTEM

Nigeria is a country blessed with so many resources especially natural and human but unfortunately, we have failed to channel these effectively for the betterment of the society particularly to our health system.

Instead of the government to provide jobs, create scientific laboratories for research without power outage, put money in the research of diabetes, brain disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and other mental illnesses, rather they pump money into the next coming elections. They do not truthfully tackle poverty, hunger and unemployment.

Many of us are just lucky to be alive. We are not sure if we are completely healthy because we do not get the best of health care in terms of proper medical check-up and treatment.

I see patients on the wards many of which will die because of our poor system. The government has neglected their roles when it comes to proper delivery and maintenance of health.

The emergency room is almost nothing to write home about. Facilities are lacking. There is always a shortage of one material or the other. It is not in any way standard. No proper insurance policy. Insurance only covers some certain medications and investigations. You will have to pay for the more expensive ones in a number of cases. Patients cannot afford most investigations let alone treatment. Most patients die because of lack of funds. When such funds are available, there is the problem of out of pocket spending.

When you add both the implicit and explicit costs incurred on health care, the whole resources are gone.

Governments at all levels need to wake up fast. There is need to revive our primary health care centres across the country. They are not adequate and adequately equipped. There is shortage of man power. Staff members are not properly remunerated. This has resulted in a poor working spirit among health workers. Only a few health workers want to stay in the rural areas.

There is a lot of pressure on the tertiary health system.  Many at times, the secondary health system is omitted. It is as if, they don’t exist. For proper health care delivery, there has to be effective referral system beginning from the primary health care centres through the secondary health care centres which are taken charge by most state governments before we can now reach the level of the tertiary system which are largely controlled by the federal government.

I’m not sure we can really boast of organ transplantation as of now in Nigeria apart from kidney transplantation which not too many centres are involved. Other ones done are cornea, gut and skin. No open heart surgery or liver transplant is done in Nigeria because as of now, there are no facilities. People who need these are given referrals to India, South Africa, UK and the US. Referrals have even been sent to Cameroun for paediatric heart surgeries. What a diabetic nature we have as we are suffering in the midst of plenty.

The developed countries of the world are now talking about robotic surgeries, telemedicine and minimally invasive surgeries to a large extent. They transplant heart, kidneys, livers at will.

Medical research centres should be established across the six geopolitical zones with adequate funding and stable electricity. Stable electricity will ensure the preservation of blood and other body tissues as well as vaccines and drugs.

 I believe this outcry is necessary. It’s a shame that Nigeria has not fully combated polio. India with a population of over 1 billion has successfully eradicated polio. Pakistan, Afghanistan, Nigeria are now remaining. It is a shame that we share statistics with war torn countries. Maternal mortality and under five mortality are still very high. 

We experience a double burden of both communicable and non communicable diseases to a large extent because of the scourge of HIV/AIDS.

On the issue of HIV and AIDS, Nigeria now ranks second largest country with the largest burden of HIV/AIDS. We need to ask about the funds being channeled on a yearly basis to the management of HIV/AIDS both at the state and federal levels.

On the demographic transition scale, Nigeria is still between stage 1 and stage 2 as we can’t conveniently put Nigeria in stage 2 with a high fertility rate and a little decline in mortality rate. Scandinavian countries like Norway and Sweden are in stage 4 with low fertility and low mortality rates because of the advancement in their health care system. In Nigeria, life expectancy for females is at 47 years while that of males at 45 years. There is a multiplicity of factors responsible for this.

We really need a drastic change. The strategies currently employed are obviously not working effectively. It is evident that there is corruption which is the bane of our problem.

Our primary health care has to be firmly established, adequate in number and well equipped. Health workers need to be motivated and properly remunerated. There need to be a good referral system. The tertiary should not always take the burden. It should be the last resort. Other factors that may cause delay in assessing health care should be addressed.

Primary delay explains the education and attitude of the citizens to health care. Secondary delay which looks into factors like transportation to health care facilities and tertiary delay which can be combated by making sure that man power and equipments are available and functional even after the primary and secondary delays must have been by-passed.

Government needs to increase the budgetary allocation to health. This is very germane and corruption must be tackled with sincerity.

We need to save our mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, young ones who are the future of Nigeria.

This article was published on Ynaija Online Magazine on 10th June, 2013: http://www.ynaija.com/opinion-nigerias-disintegrating-health-system/

GOOD GOVERNANCE,A PREREQUSITE FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

THE SUMMARY OF MALLAM NASIR EL-RUFAI’S LECTURE AT THE 54^th ANNUAL HALL WEEK OF ALEXANDER BROWN HALL, UNIVERSITY OF IBADAN WHICH TOOK PLACE AT THE PAUL HENDRICKSE LECTURE THEATRE, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE HOSPITAL, IBADAN.

In a lecture delivered by the Former FCT Minister, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai who was the guest speaker at the just concluded Alexander Brown Hall, University of Ibadan Hall Week 2012, He pointed out the need for good governance which he said can only be achieved through the rule of law by ensuring that we have free and fair elections in Nigeria.

Governance consists of the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised. This includes the process by which governments are selected, monitored and replaced; the capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement sound policies; and the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them.

Societies make progress when visionary leaders emerge to organize and direct collective actions for peaceful coexistence, with sensible rules, clear incentives and sanctions that enable individuals realize their full potentials. When the leadership emerges through a process that provides equal opportunity for all citizens to participate via free, fair and credible elections, accountability is highest, governance performance more likely to be assured and freedoms of citizens guaranteed. Such an inclusive process usually produces growth with development in both the economic and political realms.

The World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (WGI) project reports aggregate and individual governance indicators for 215 economies over the period 1996–2011, for six dimensions of governance: Voice and Accountability, Political Stability and Absence of Violence, Government Effectiveness, Regulatory Quality, Rule of Law and Control of Corruption.

These aggregate indicators developed by Danny Kaufmann, AartKraay and Massimo Mastuzzi combine the views of a large number of business, citizen and expert surveys in industrial as well as developing countries. The WGI indicators are based on 30 individual data sources produced by a variety of survey institutes, think tanks, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, and private sector firms

These dimensions are consistent with the characteristics of good governance identified by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP). These comprise the following:

·         Participation – by both men and women either through direct or through legitimate intermediate institutions or representatives;

·         Rule of Law – fair legal frameworks that are enforced impartially;

·         Transparency – decisions taken and their enforcement are done in a manner that follows laid down rules and regulations;

·         Responsiveness – serving all stakeholders within a reasonable time frame;

·         Consensus oriented – mediation of the different interests in a society to reach a broad consensus in the overall interest of the whole community;

·         Equity and inclusiveness – all members of the society are availed the opportunity of sense of belonging;

·         Effectiveness and Efficiency – processes and institutions produce results that meet the needs of the society while making the best use of available resources; and

·         Accountability – governmental institutions, private sector and civil society organisations are accountable their institutional stakeholders.

On the economic sector, he said economic reforms alone aren’t enough, more efforts should be invested in political reforms and measures between the political and economic reforms should be established from day one as we cannot have sustainable economic reforms without a firm polity.  To find a way to reform and improve democratic rule, we need to get involved and try to improve them.  Societies make progress when visionary leaders arrange to organize and direct collective actions for people’s coexistence, sensible rule that enable individuals to enlarge their full potentials.

He also made mention of the Justice Uwais report recommendation which sought to separate the executive arm completely from INEC in order to guarantee the latter’s autonomy. Most importantly, the report insisted that the President should not have powers to single-handedly appoint or remove the INEC Chairman. The process recommended by Uwais for appointment of INEC Chairman starts with the National Judicial Council (NJC) advertising to the public and spelling out the required qualifications. After receiving the applications, three persons are short-listed and the nominations sent to Council of State to select one person to be forwarded to the Senate for confirmation. Removal of the Chairman or commissioners of INEC should be on the recommendation of the NJC and approval by two-thirds of the Senate which shall include at least 10 members of minority parties.

The logistical problems within INEC need to be solved and there is no better time than now to begin planning. Issues like election materials arriving late from Japan as was the case in the last elections are unacceptable. Attempting to register the expected 80 million-plus voters in three weeks will not happen.

At the root of our failure as a country is the absence of true democracy for most of our history. Rigged elections put in place unaccountable leaders with no organic link with the electorate, legitimized only by corruption in the Judiciary but not in the eyes of the citizens. Unelected leaders in power rule, not govern, and do so with impunity. They know the citizenry neither elected nor supported them. They know they are in power only because they paid massive amounts of money to staff of INEC, the Police and the SSS in the first instance. They then spent further amounts to persuade the judges to uphold the fake election results written by the first set of electoral and security officials. Their single-minded focus in power is therefore to ‘make’ as much money as possible to pay to write the results of the next election. They do not care to fulfil any election promises, because they know that our votes have never counted.

The strengths of democracy as the best system of government are political equality, the empowerment of disenfranchised, and the ability to manage societal conflicts peacefully. Elections are the foundations of democracy, but only when conducted with integrity.

He also mentioned that the reason why Nigeria is faced with the problem of terrorism especially that of Boko haram is because of the failure of the government to cater for the young ones. In a country where the per capita income only 1,500 dollars per annum as compared with South Korea was use to be on the same level with Nigeria in 1963 but who now has a per capita income of about 25,000 dollars, what do you expect of the youths of such a country like Nigeria where hunger and unemployment are the order of the day but these two problems for instance should have been the harbinger if the government were responsive enough. He made mention of some northern states of the federation like Yobe and Jigawa in which 2 out of every 3 youths are not well educated or even lacked education in totality, unemployed and not able to feed well. He decried about the poor education system being faced majorly by that zone of the country. He dissociated Islam from the activities of Boko haram and stated that it is as a result of bad governance. He stated that it is easy for hungry and unemployed youths to give in to any false beliefs if they are asked to be suicide bombers and that if they kill for God that they will have inheritance in heaven especially when they are uneducated.

He also mentioned that countries of the world that has developed over the years especially those in Asia are not necessarily practicing democracy.  Indonesia for instance has had some military rule and lots of corruption but has done very well. He recommended a book by Chinua Achebe (The trouble with Nigeria) where Chinua Achebe pointed out that the problem of Nigeria was fully and squarely that of leadership and has remained till today.

Leadership is important in any social grouping but it’s far more central in countries in Africa for the overall success and wealth of nations than anywhere else because we happen to have a weak institution.

He wondered why Nigeria cannot refine his own crude oil and sell at a very high price to other nations of the world. He doesn’t understand why we need to keep exporting oil for refining and not work on our refineries. He couldn’t also understand why the amount paid in subsidy by the government presently was 2.6 trillion naira when that paid by Obasanjo was only 200 billion naira.

He lauded president Obasanjo that he was a very hard working president whom he said worked 21 hours a day trying to make Nigeria better and that he consulted experts always before making any move.

As regards being in the opposition caucus, he affirmed that you will suffer so much to the extent that your livelihood may even be threatened just because you are a critic. He said his construction company being a first class one and noted for its competence across the company may not get much attention since they are in the opposition as nobody will want to offend the present government by awarding them a contract.

The occasion was graced by Emeritus Professor of Medicine, Professor O.O Akinkugbe (CFR, FRCP, FWACP, NNOM) who was the chairman of the day, Professor Abiodun Ilesanmi, former Chief Medical Director, UCH, Ibadan, Professor Babatunde Salako, H.O.D of Medicine Department and  The Dean of Students, Professor A. A Alada.

THE EFFECTS OF INDUSTRIAL ACTIONS ON EDUCATION

Before I got to the University, I never really knew much about strike actions. I do hear about it but showed little concern probably because I finished from a private secondary school where I did the last three years. Even when I was in my junior secondary school, I can’t remember if we were ever affected by any strike.

During the Obasanjo administration, I remember vividly that my elder ones were at home for about a period of four months when they both told me that they were affected by an industrial action that forced them to stay at home. After a series of meetings the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had with the Federal Government, they failed to reach a compromise and this led to the shut down of Universities across the country and academic activities were paralyzed. It was this period I really started to know what strike action meant. 

Before I got to the higher institution in 2006,I had made a calculation on paper when I tried to figure out the most likely time I would finish school either with the four­-year course I came in with or if eventually I would change my course to medicine in my second year. I would only just have to add two years to the calculated date but then my brother came to the table and saw what I was writing where he told me to add ‘plus x’ to the number of years I’m to spend in the University. Of course, he wasn’t trying to say I was going to have an extra year in the University but he was almost certain that at some point in my study, there would be some delays as a result of an anticipated strike action.

I find it difficult to pen down as I was only just positive that such will not happen in my time.

The first year came and I managed to escape. The session finished February 2007 which was supposed to be the normal time. We were to resume June 2007 but the school adjusted her calendar and added three months extra to our resumption date in order for them to normalize the calendar back to the old ‘September to June’ style after which you can have the months of July and August to yourself as a summer break.

The University didn’t even achieve this for a period of two years before another nationwide strike came on board. It was the same agitation of salary increment and other reforms in the education sector the ASUU cried on in 2005 that led to the strike.  The Government had not heeded to their cry. The whole University calendar was disrupted and the need for another adjustment.

From my second year till the time after my third year when I was about to cross over to the clinical school, there was no major strike that stopped academic activities. However, when we got to clinical school, we were able to do our introductory posting which lasted for eight weeks after which the second strike I just talked about came up.

This time, we were not even taught in the clinics and wards. This lasted for a whole four months. Then I began to wonder if I will ever leave school on time. I thought the ‘plus x’ my brother talked about could only last for not more than a month or  two but lo and behold, it was over seven months extra already and it started to become unbearable. Many of my friends complained on a daily basis but we could not do anything to help the situation as we just watched in despair. We started to talk about the political aspect of the whole situation and how badly this has affected the education sector and the kind of image it’s giving to the nation. 

ASUU strike had not only been our problem. We had in the past been affected also by other strike actions be it at the State or Federal level. Among these are health workers strikes, fuel crises, and local political unrest to mention but a few. All these have in one way or the other affected our studies.

The education system has really deteriorated. We don’t produce quality graduates as of the old. 

Many things are lacking. Strike is just one major factor I talked on. There are other factors; the instability in electricity that adversely affects teaching, clinical trials and laboratory researches, inappropriate funding of the educational sector by the Government, undue politicizing of some major posts in the University, nepotism, tribalism and inadequate reward of success of brilliant students.

My question is now to Nigerian University students. On our own, how do you think we can deal with these negative changes particularly that of the strike actions which halt our education on a yearly basis? 

 Do you think we can influence these to a large scale to suit our own purpose? Do you even think ASUU have a plan for us or they are just after their own welfare alone? After all when they go on strike, we automatically do too.

Similar link:  The ASUU strike and it's effect on the Nigerian students  http://www.ynaija.com/opinion-the-asuu-strike-and-its-effect-on-nigerian-students/

THE MIRACLE OF THE MODERN TELEPHONE IN NIGERIA

The world has really moved forward. The system of communication is now much better than in the past. It is now less complicated. We no longer use telephone with wires and poles again. Things are now computerized. Gone are the days when you have to be at home only to receive your calls and whenever you are outside your home, that is not possible.

People now use less complicated phones in terms of size and density. In the past, you couldn’t pocket your phone. It’s not even possible. You can’t even have a grasp of it in your hand; you have to carry it with your two hands.

I remember where I grew up; only three flats out of twelve flats had land phones at that time. When these phones ring, we could hear loud and clear from our various homes. They all share a common ringtone. Our next door neighbour had two of their children abroad that called in to one of these three homes. The children of the owner of the land phone shouted their names to quickly come downstairs to speak on the telephone with their children. Sometimes, they would have to cut the call and ask them to call back immediately so that they can save some time.

The people that had land phones were respected. It added to the beauty of their living rooms. They were the only ones who could contribute on television and radio programmes. The most common telephone was the analogue telephone with a round plastic ring consisting of small holes and a telephone box with curly wires attached to it. As a fearful young boy, I was always scared of touching the phone let alone press any part of it. It was like the whole credit would burn out. I felt so special one Sunday afternoon when I was called to come and speak with my in-law on the phone. I’m not so sure if that was my first time but I still remember that day.

Nowadays, things have changed. I remember when mum first got her Motorola walkie-talkie with a green screen and a short antenna, it was like a breakthrough. I felt like it is my property even though I had nobody’s phone number.

It was the turn of my sister. She got a Nokia 3310. Nobody dared touch the phone, you can only watch from a distance. This phone I also wished was my property but thanks to luck, I later got it. My sister gave it to me when she left the country.

Before we knew it in Nigeria, many people started getting connected to each other and people could pass information a lot easier than what use to be in the past when you have to go to a cybercafé to check your mails. That is if you have one.

The saying that the world is a global village now started to make sense to me. Apart from calls, I could send text messages to my friends. This was not possible on the analogue phone. Now, we can receive calls outside our homes and the phones are handy. No doubt nowadays you can do a lot with your phone. The modern phone is smaller, lighter, well packaged and has a lot of functions. It can vibrate if you wish to put it on silent mode. Most even come with multimedia. It is now like a replica of one’s life. Almost all the information you need to get going in life can be accessed from your small phone as most of them are internet enabled. You can check your mails without having to visit the café, relate with your friends via the social networks, read news and blogs and watch events around the world and the most fascinating of all, see your caller thousands of miles away.

Life keeps getting better. The unimaginable device is on its way.

                    You can also read this article on YNaija Online Magazine published on the 24th of July,2013: 
        http://www.ynaija.com/opinion-the-miracle-of-the-modern-telephone-in-nigeria/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

THE RICH (IN NIGERIA) DON’T KNOW THEY ALSO SUFFER

I looked at our society and how we live our lives. Our conception of what enjoyment is, is far from what it truly is.
The imperfections and misconceptions have made our thinking crude and in our behaviours, there are deviations from what obtains in a normal society.
We live in a society where the so called rich look down on the poor. They feel superior. They are braggarts. They show off and are probably happy at the suffering of others. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mean they laugh about it but the ‘I don’t care’ and ‘I can’t help’ attitudes are what I am referring to.

My perception about how life should be lived changed when I travelled to Europe in 2009.
The way people live their lives is totally different. I couldn’t separate the rich from the poor. They all shared the same facilities.
Unlike in Nigeria, I wouldn’t have to observe for more than a split second before I guess the social status of an individual, rich or poor. The way we live our lives is what I have termed as ‘excess’. You can deduce this from the person’s speech, dressing which is not only in the clothing material but also the complements; the Dubai necklace, the expensive gold wristwatch, the Italian shoes and other belongings like the Blackberry, Iphones and the latest car models.
In developed countries, this is not so. People don’t show off. They dress simple. They don’t even have to wear the best dresses as those dresses will eventually be covered by the overall in cold places, which is the winter jacket. They live a life of moderation.
When it comes to feeding, we miss it. We take too much calories which are very dangerous to our health. Red meat for instance, can cause heart disease leading to stroke and death. Fish and animal liver are better as they supply the body vitamins and necessary nutrients. If so, why don’t the rich go for them more than they do for meat?

The white man will exercise on a daily or weekly basis judiciously. He takes a walk, climbs the hills, goes for picnics with families and friends and participates in sporting activities, not necessarily competitive in order to ensure that they are in a good state of health.
In Nigeria, this is not the case. Many people will tell you that you have a mental illness if you keep your cars at home and take a walk to your office.

I saw old people in their 70’s and 80’s go to the stores on their bicycles. I was so shocked thinking some of them would fall off their bikes.
Taking a walk or exercising your body prevents you from developing some blood vessel diseases. It reduces your chances of having deep venous thrombosis and keeps you fit.
Look at our transportation system, very poor. The so called high class people in the society ride big cars on pot holes, without direction, traffic and street lights. No pedestrian pavement or sidewalks. No special roads for oil tankers. We risk our lives moving on the same roads with them.
Our rail system is nothing to write home about. We are still in the coal age in this modern time. In a country where electricity is not even stable, how can we ever think of electric train?
This train issue brings to mind on how I saw both the rich and the poor in their large numbers boarding train to their work places. It’s not that they couldn’t afford to fuel their cars but they did not see anything wrong in sharing. They chose rather what was convenient.
A lot of competitions go on as to what type of generator an individual has. We see 30, 50 and even 100 KVA generators that power household gadgets. They probably see this as a yardstick for prestige, not knowing that they make noise and disturb the neighbourhood with the unwanted sounds and also pollute the environment with the exhaust emanating from the machines. Some even get special transformers from Power companies. This is just a burden. Electricity is supposed to be controlled centrally in totality and nothing of such should ever be found in an household.
What about the bore-holes they dig, they are using their wealth to disturb the soil and rocks without proper approval. These we know are very dangerous and too many of such acts will result in the weakness of the rocks and other soil components thereby serving as a potential future disaster for tremors and quakes.

Our security system is another issue. The rich are being forced to lock themselves in tall iron gates like they are being caged. Just picture my explanation. A lot of these iron gates and burglaries I see around are very beautiful, well customised and I’m pretty sure, very expensive.
Should I continue to talk about the wrong attitudes of the so called rich?

Are they actually at fault? Well, in any way they can make changes to better the society with their wealth, they should.
The major challenge is to the government who can aid in building a sane society.
Our nation has been plagued with corruption. Instead of improving the quality of lives of their citizens, they choose to share the resources among themselves.
We do not channel our revenue properly to harness our resources and help the common man. Our social infrastructures are very poor.
They chose to dig bore-holes with their names inscribed on it rather than lay pipes to homes where water can reach every individual, clean and free of diseases.
Instead of them to invest truthfully in electricity, they keep allowing a few import generators thinking those will put smiles on our faces.
No adequate plan to meet the ever growing population. The health care system is poor. No reasonable health insurance policy. Maternal morbidity and mortality are on the increase.
In Germany for instance, adequate care is given to pregnant women. They are registered with their unborn baby and from the moment they deliver, a certain amount is given to each mother monthly to cater for her child.
The poor don’t suffer in such developed countries. I don’t even know the reason why they are referred to as poor? The government feed and provide shelter for them. The rich understand what it means to be poor. They do not neglect them, rather they embrace them, contribute their quota regularly through the payment of taxes according to earnings and through voluntary donations. The rich help the poor to attain an average level. The healthy takes care of the sick.
We also need to stress the area of awareness in our society. The rich and the poor are both poor when it comes to awareness. Just like we have it in our society, it should not be a yearly thing, but daily and weekly. It’s not going to cost us anything. The benefits outweigh the stress.
Examples of such are in the areas of education, religion and more importantly, our health. Routine medical check-up, once or twice a year, screening tests, knowing of genotype before marriage and HIV status.
The use of seat belts, safe answering of phone calls, waste disposals, traffic rules, reporting of suspicious movements to the police and so on should be regularly publicized on our electronic media on a daily basis.
Our so called celebrities are not left behind. We not only want to listen to their new songs or watch them on our satellite televisions but we want to see how they can meaningfully impact the society.

We need to improve on how we live our lives in Nigeria, know the things that actually matter, cut down on excesses and care for the man that needs our help next door.