IN A TIME LIKE THIS.
By Olusegun HOSEA. 28th October,2023.
The saying though time never last but though people do, is a philosophical statement made by Robert H. Schuller to encourage humanity not to loose hope in any ugly circumstances as they journey along in this life . Things are hard really but the means of getting out from the worst situation that engulfed all sectors of our economy should be our primary concern rather than hitting the politics in a time like this. This piece will be x-raying the past, current and probably viewing the futuristic events that may likely happen as time progress in order for us to be at alert, just like the law eleven of one of the Voluntary organizations in our society-The Boy Scout that says “Always prepare”. It’s against this background that I would like to centre my thoughts on four if not five different sectors that would cut across Politics, Education, Religion, Economy and moral decadence in the society that would encompass insecurity issues.
POLITICS
In a time like this , where the political stage is set and the Characters are ready to dance to the tunes of political rhythm of which evil plots , defamation of character and libel are every where just because of the juicy governorship position that would soon be vacant for political leaders to contest for in the year 2024/2025 in Ondo State. Because of this envious position, the smooth relationship between the Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu-SAN CON and his Deputy Governor, Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa- has now become something that a writer called ” Isu-a-ta-yan-an-yan ” in African language which simply means a scattered piece of fried Yam in a frying pot . The former cordial relationship between the duo has now turned to a public ridicule, as various litigations has been instituted against themselves in a competent Court of Jurisdiction just because of the political power ahead . Some castigated the Deputy Governor, Honourable Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa for going to Court to stop his impeachment over gross misconduct leveled against him by the members of the Ondo State House of Assembly and the Cabal in the government when he acted as an Acting Governor while his Principal was on Medical vacation for three months before returning from Germany to Ibadan, Nigeria, While others sees Mr Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu-SAN CON as an ingrate for acting on a ” rumour ” about his Deputy wishing him death over his ailments, simply because of the Political power ahead 2024/2025. Other says he should be praising God for surviving the ailment. Now the so called joint ticket may be disjuncted if the Court do otherwise or remain jointed together as the case may be, by the Court in a time like this .
Still riding on the political Vehicle of Ondo State where their is no functioning local government which is very close to the grass root. There are no Local Government Chairmen and Councilor in the eighteen Local Government in the state as there is no election yet in a time like this, there is no Acting Governor because the one that was acting had relinquished power to the one that transmitted it, after he had resumed from medical vacation to his home outside Ondo State. As it is now, there’s no active Deputy Governor . The Youths in the opposition party, PDP are giving Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu-SAN CON a three day ultimatum to comeback to Ondo State and rule , as they don’t want to be ruled by proxy or resign if he falls to dance to their rhythm. The absence of these people have made the state to look like autopilot as nobody was there to take responsibility or. addressing the citizens during the first of October this year and the Month is about winning up.
Education
Away from the politics. The educational sectors is gradually going out of the masses due to the high cost of the school fees particularly in the tertiary Institution of learning in a time like this . Parents can no longer afford the high fees raised by the government due to the hardship in the society as a result of the removal of the Fuel subsidy. Students of the University of Lagos , Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, in Osun State demonstrated against hike in their school fees. With this, it would be difficult for students to complete their education if something drastic is not done about it . Parents may not be able to send their children to the school if the school fee continue like this. while government were saying that those parents who refused to send their children to school would face the wrath of the Law as they had made a provision for the Students Scheme loans for the indigent students whose parents income was not above five hundred thousand (N500,000) per annum.
In the secondary level,the government owned schools called Unity College was affected too as parents paid higher amount than what they used to pay before. The students that were paying like thirty eight thousand are now paying close to eighty thousand naira for the the boarders Although,the government still maintained free tuition fee but other expenses are still on the high side . To enter all these Schools particularly in the South West, Parents normally spend not less than six to seven hundred thousand (N600,000 or N700,000) naira .
From the state level, most of our primary and public schools are in a sorry stage particularly in the riverine areas in Ondo State. Most schools are lacking Teacher and other basic educational materials that learners could use to improve upon their education. Yet educational Budget is being made every year. Most teachers in all these public primary and secondary schools do not have their wards or Children schooling there because of the low standard and the lack of welfare package or motivation for the Teachers in most of these schools. There is nothing bad if government can make all the primary schools in the state to be like that of Mega School built by the former Governor Mimiko and equip them with educational materials and human resources inorder to attract learner’s to come to the school and acquire quality education for themselves because the state is capable of doing that if they are willing to do it .
Religion.
In a time like this, where a husband is killing his loved one for ritual purpose viz-a-viz in our society. Also, many Pastors are not Left behind in this kind of bastard acts. The children too at times plans evil against their parents in this wicked world where it’s difficult for both husband and wife to know the evil intentions against one another, as everyone are living in a suspect mood even within the same roof .We have seen cases where husband machetes his wife just because of infidelity issues ,like wise wife pouring hot water on her husband because of the similar, issue mentioned above. What about step father raping step Daughter in our society, where immorality have taken over the minds of our young ladies .
Yet the words of God are flowing out from the genuine men of God every day and every Sunday from the Alter to the congregation for them to desist from their evil ways but the people find it very difficult to obey those words as they have hidden their minds towards hearing the truth messages. In a time like this, where Pastors are forcefully and desperately seeking satanic power for the purpose of doing signs and wonders in the Church so that they can have total control over the destinies of their members of the congregation. Above all, the Bible has said it that there is time for all the seasons according to the book of Ecclesiastes 1vs 3. I believe a time is coming when all these evil acts would come to an end and the words of God here would become pre-eminent.
Economy.
In a time like this, also dissect the state of economy of the State. The economy is bleeding in most areas like in the power sector. With huge amount of money invested in the power sector in this Country, we are still finding it difficult to have twenty four hours electricity across the nation. Does it mean that the Country is not blessed enough financially to cater for the power needs of the citizens or is it the government who are saddled with the responsibility of managing its national grid doing it deliberately by not giving light to her citizens? or is it the workers, working in the power sector are the one frustrating the efforts of their employer from yielding fruitful results?
All these rhetoric questions are begging for answer from the Authorities concern.
The human capital development that form part of the economy or that can be referred to as an engine room that would make the economy of the country to soar are guilty of brain drain. The ironing of it is that the government of this country would allow their citizens to pass through the Lecturers in the Universities whose Salaries,wages and allowances are being paid by the government both State and Federal for the purpose of training and developing human capital personnel that would handle the economy of the nation and at the end of it all, the same government that pays lecturers to train all these graduates would now allow those trained quality personality to drained away to a foreign land to develop other Nations economy at the expense of their own. It is a shame to such government. I think government should wake up to their responsibilities in this regard by learning how to place their priority well in terms of attracting their young graduates with a good welfare packages and creating more jobs for the teeming youths. They need to intensify their efforts by letting the old one retire from the service inorder to creat room for the younger ones.
In a time like this, where our roads have become death trap due to the enormous pot holes while men of the under world are making use of this opportunity to their own advantages by kidnapping people at will and collecting ransom from their victims. In some cases ransom were paid and the victims would still been killed while in some cases they may be lucky and get their freedom if their relatives paid for their ransom. If the economy is good and the Security personnel are at alert to their responsibilities by fighting corruption within the security systems, the issue of insecurity in the country would be reduced if not eradicated.
Moral Decadence
To expanciate further, the level of poverty in the country is alarming. The rice that is meant for the common man and woman in the society has become Gold, as a rubber of the commodity is being sold at two thousand naira (N2000=) while a Bag is being sold at fifty to fifty five thousand naira i(N50-55,000) naira in the market .What a pity !
In a time like this, where God had given us Crude oil free of charge for the benefits of man kind , ye the same product are being imported . The local refineries are dead for years, why we do keep on importing Fuel from abroad when we have Dogs at our backyard that could help us to salvage our human faeces .Today, the same content is being sold at six hundred plus per litre. Any way, I want to believe that the government of the day have ear’s and they are listening to the yarnings and aspirations of the people, in order to do the right thing by fixing these Refineries for the benefits of the citizens.
In a time like this, where there is no food security as members of the families are now living from hands to mouth , meaning that there is poverty in the land as parents are finding it difficult to feed their families due to the skyrocket in the price of goods and services in the country. The insecurity in the land perhaps is one of the reasons that contributed to the high prices of goods as Farmers could no longer access their farms due to the fear of being kidnapped or killed by the Herdsmen who have made themselves a landlords in our forest.
Conclusion, the moral decadence in our society have gone beyond control. Our young ladies have turned themselves to commercial sluts in order for them to sustain in this hard time economy. The house wife in some cases are seldomly not left alone as most of them hustle secretly in this direction for the purpose of ensuring that their families doesn’t die of hunger.This situation of moral decadence in the society has gone higher. Most young ladies and guys are now using their relatives for money ritual,all in the name of getting rich quick in order to meet up with the demands of the family and societal needs in a time like this. On less there is massive creation of job, good security, reduction of brain drain, introduction of free and compulsory education and the improvement in the economy situation of the country as well as control food market prices , and house rent, it would be difficult for the people to survive in this hard time.