By Linus Akomolafe
As the country marks its 61st independence anniversary on Friday, Lagosians have described the six years of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as the worst in Nigeria’s history as an independent state.
Residents who spoke to IkejaBird on Friday stated that within the last four years, they have witnessed insecurity and hardship in a renewed phase.
A retired bank worker, Mr. Ewetunde Oluwafemi, said as Nigeria records its 61 years of existence, insecurity has not been friendly to citizens in all regions as the country continues to grapple for change with no feat to celebrate.
He said: “Three major things stood out for us this year, the fall in naira, cost of living and the kidnapping. Nobody is safe in this country, if they can attack the Nigerian Defence Academy ( NDA), if they can kidnap a whole retired Air Vice Marshall, nobody is safe. It could be anybody, even Aso Rock. If it can take them almost a month to bring back the major that was kidnapped at NDA how long will it take to rescue an ordinary citizen. There is no hope for the common man.”
He added: “government should focus on making its exchange rate stronger, stop the ban on importation and be selfless in its activities. I don’t see any improvement that we should celebrate.”
A trader in Oshodi, Mrs. Adanwa James noted that the country is getting worse with no significant improvement in the cost of goods.
” In this my little business, when I go to market with N50, 000, I usually charter tricycle back home but now, when I go to market with N50, 000 I will only buy a bag of rice and one keg of oil. A keg of groundnut oil is 28k while we were buying it N6, 500 three years ago. A bag of rice before when people were complaining that it is too expensive, we were buying it N12, 000 now it is N30, 000. Before when I want to prepare concoction rice with little ingredients, I use N500. But now N1, 000 cannot be used especially for people that have five children,” she said.
While tasking the administration of president Muhammadu Buhari to revisit scholarships programmes for students, and to create jobs.
“The government should encourage students, especially those who graduate without jobs. Many of them are into cybercrime because they are looking for money. A lot of children don’t want to go to school because of the number of jobless graduates in Nigeria.”
A retired civil servant from the Ministry of Health, Mrs. Christiana Ewetunde, stated that since her retirement in 2017, the cost of living increases hourly.
“Nigeria is now 61 and I retired April 19, 2017. From that time till now, it is worse. When you buy something around 9am and you go back there by 12pm it would have increased. It has been a bitter experience this year. We can’t even advise our government it is only God that can advise them. We need prayer in this country because people are suffering and smiling.”
A resident in Oshodi-Isolo, Mrs. Bidemi Gbolahun said 2020 and 2021 has brought untold hardship for her.
She said: “This year is not okay at all. For example, before I gave birth, my sister bought five clothes with different things with 20, 000. But when I went to the market, I bought them for N50, 000. And we say we have a government. I have a sister who is a trader, she’s been telling me that she will close down her market because it is getting worse. Indomie was N900 for a carton then but now it is N2, 500.”
Speaking on electricity bill, she noted that her old bill of N750 has now been increased to N3, 200 with no job and income. “If there is job I won’t complain because I know something will be coming in monthly but not now that nothing is dropping and we are celebrating 61 years, 61 years of what?” she asked.
A petty trader who identified herself as Mummy Israel said the country is marking 61 years of corruption.
“We are celebrating 61 years of corruption. yes , corruption. There is no change anywhere. I leave in one room with my children and every month I pay N7, 500 for electricity. Four years ago I was paying Nepa bill of N800 and I was complaining. Now it has increased and the light is not stable,” she said.
