Does recession truly exist?

yinka ogunlami

January 24, 2017 3:58 PM

‘’If Buhari and Osinbajo can take pay cuts in their salaries, what is stopping our greedy and self-centered senators from doing such’’.

Recession

Prices of goods have skyrocketed, companies are downsizing, We cant afford to eat regularly, everyone is complaining. There is mass hunger in the land. This obviously is recession in the eyes of the poor.

On the other hand, let's look at the analysis of recession by the rich. Owambe parties every Saturday, club outings on Friday, Regular online shopping orders, Lunch at upscale restaurants, frequent overseas trips, First class Air Tickets. finally, they acclaim "Recession is not affecting us".

The two sides of a coin they say don't reflect the same outcome. Since, the Government made an official statement about recession in Nigeria, there has been agonizing tales of how Nigerians survive. From a woman stealing a pot of Amala to feed herself and her children to people killing Rats for meat.

Many have had to subsidize their feeding regime by eating twice per day, while for others, it is a meal per day. Even the Federal Government had to direct its ministers to fly Economy class when travelling by air. The rate of social vices have notched up higher with everyone seeking to use what they have to get what they want albeit through illegal means.

The government has been emphasizing on the need to invest in Made-in-Nigeria goods and has made frantic moves to stop recession from scaling high by pumping money into the economy.

Nevertheless, there is a certain class of people in the society who despite the current recession continue to display their affluent wealth and we beg to ask “Is recession only affecting the poor?" Or is it not affecting the whole of Nigeria? In this case, the rich are not crying.

Tales of how a popular senator bought a Rolls Royce worth 180million naira still rings a bell in our head. Few days back, a Nigerian artiste bought a Mercedes worth 100million Naira. However, it would have done the Nation enough good if we all can unite and help one another.

One seem to wonder why in a 21st century country, there are beggars on the streets and highways. If Buhari and Osinbajo can take pay cuts in their salaries, what is stopping our greedy and self-centered senators from doing such.

If Dangote and other rich people can donate to the poor, give scholarship awards to students and set up empowerment centers, what is stopping other so-called millionaires from treading the same path. President Buhari, there is hunger in the land, the masses are suffering while the rich are enjoying, drinking the choicest wines from Spain, eating assorted meals, going on holiday trips and lavishing money on the latest expensive automobiles courtesy of the Nation's treasury.

President Buhari, the poor have the luxury of using rats as meat, eating an unbalanced diet, getting sick everyday, the kids in the north are malnourished and one of your ministers is saying "Nigerians are not feeding well" . All is well with Nigeria.

Otolorin Olabode is a student of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. He is a Creative writer and also a seasoned content writer. He handles

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