Nigeria's hardship is due to bad leadership, says Afenifere factional leader
Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Nigeria faces severe economic hardship and insecurity attributed to poor leadership and detrimental policies, according to Afenifere.
- The group's leader, Oladipo Olaitan, highlighted worsening insecurity, unemployment, and rising living costs, stating that suffering is man-made, not an act of God.
- Olaitan called for a shift to people-centered economic policies and urged the Social Democratic Party to elect leaders capable of restoring hope and dignity.
The pan-Yoruba socio-political organization, Afenifere, has unequivocally stated that the current economic hardship and pervasive insecurity plaguing Nigeria are direct consequences of misguided leadership and policies that disregard the welfare of the populace. Oladipo Olaitan, the factional leader, articulated this position during a goodwill message at the Social Democratic Party's presidential primary election in Bauchi.
Nigeria is bleeding. The nation is at a crossroads. Our people can no longer sleep with their eyes closed because of insecurity, banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and communal clashes.
Olaitan painted a grim picture of Nigeria at a critical juncture, lamenting the escalating insecurity, rampant unemployment, deepening poverty, and the unbearable cost of living. He emphasized that the persistent banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, and communal clashes have left citizens in a state of constant fear, unable to find peace. "Nigeria is bleeding. The nation is at a crossroads," he declared, underscoring the profound suffering of the people.
The suffering of Nigerians is not an act of God. It is the direct result of wrong choices and economic policies that put market forces and profit above the welfare of the people.
The Afenifere leader asserted that the economic distress is not a natural disaster but a man-made crisis stemming from economic policies that prioritize market forces and profit over human well-being. He further accused the government of actively undermining democratic principles by weakening opposition parties, thereby eroding the multi-party system. Olaitan stressed that the true division in Nigeria lies not along ethnic or religious lines, but between the ruling elite and the ordinary citizens enduring hardship.
As we are all aware, governments break identifiable opposition into factions and fragments, thereby destroying the very basis of the multi-party system. We must unite to keep democracy alive.
Looking ahead, Olaitan called for a fundamental shift towards people-centered economic strategies. He advocated for government intervention to create jobs, bolster local industries, revitalize infrastructure, and ensure access to affordable education and healthcare. He expressed hope that the SDP would elect leaders committed to these principles, aiming to restore hope and dignity to Nigerians and build a nation of peace and prosperity for all citizens.
The contradiction is not between North and South or between religions. It is between the government and the masses of Nigerian people who are subjected to avoidable hardship and grinding poverty.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by The Punch in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
More Stories
From Our Blog
How the Same Story Looks Different in Different Countries
What Gets Lost (and Found) When News Is Translated
The Critical Role of Diaspora Media in Global News
What Travellers Should Know About Countries with Restricted Press
A Digital Nomad's Guide to Following Local News
