By AbdurRaheem Sa’ad Dembo
It is based on my personal assessment of the current economic situation in the country that I came up with the idea of good- heartedness. The idea struck me repeatedly while meditating, hence I decided to romance my keyboard.
According to Merriam’s Webster Dictionary, good-hearted is having a kindly generous disposition. In the same vein, Oxford Learners Dictionary describes good-hearted as kind; willing to help other people. In view of this, it is no gainsay that good-heartedness is a potential driving force towards alleviating the suffering of the masses amid the hyper inflation in Nigeria. The government officials who dish out policies and citizens must be good-hearted.
Furthermore, those in the position of authority should know that the Almighty will ask them and everyone about our escapades on earth. The current economic hardship is hitting the masses of Nigeria in an unprecedented high way. Traders and manufacturers should imbibe the virtue of kind-heartedness, because making money at the expense of the poor masses is unGodly and satanic. As a trader you bought a cement in the morning and by evening, you have added about 40 percent price increase because of speculations and greed. It is a public belief and knowledge that such money cannot help you. We reap whatever we sow, that is the reality about our existence.
The Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Muhammadu Iliyasu Bashar, on Wednesday met with the business community in Kebbi State on the high prices of food commodities in the state. Here is part of what he said: “We are all to blame; we should stop blaming the government. We should all go back, sit down and see where we need to contribute to improve the economic situation”. He said instead of blaming the government, the market traders should be just in the way and manner they set food commodities to buyers so that the economic hardship that is currently being witnessed in the country could be resolved.
In a similar move, a renowned Ilorin born Islamic scholar, Sheikh Hamad Labeeb and his group toured markets in Ilorin on behalf of Emir of Ilorin, Alhaji (Dr) Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari to admonish the traders to desist from incessant increment in the prices of food commodities.
Most importantly, to the progressive guys, coming online and telling Nigerians that they are exaggerating the hardship in the land, you are admonished to take things easy as life is not stable and very dynamic. Is it because you are enjoying “kobo kobo patronage” from political big wigs? You may not be making sense as the public will be seeing you as political caricatures. It is a dangerous politics to openly deny the obvious fact that people are extremely suffering. Hence, I appeal to them to stop playing the ostrich; you cannot love President Tinubu more than some of us. Even President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Commander- in-Chief of Federal Republic of Nigeria has not denied the fact that there is hardship in the land. Rather, he has been optimistic that there would be light at the end of the tunnel. To corroborate this, here is what he said in Lagos on Thursday during the commissioning of Lagos Red line rail,
“Democracy and governance are and must be for the people. As for our policy, IT WILL CONTINUE. We will not stop it. Corruption must end in Nigeria. Yes, Corruption will fight back, we will fight it and ruin it. We will exterminate it! Nigeria money must be for the majority of Nigerians to build good education, healthcare and modern transportation for majority of the people. We are focused and determined and we are on track. In the end, all of us will be happy for all the sacrifices we made. The Hope is here, Nigeria will be out of economic problems…..”.
Similarly, the Fuji Maestro, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, cancelled the yearly birthday carnival for his 67th birthday on 3rd March. He however urged his family and friends to rather use the occasion to reach out to the less privileged in the society. According to K1 “many people are praying for survival at this point; to feed well is a big issue for many and, as someone that benefits from many of these people crying and lamenting, I share in their pains and see no reason I should be celebrating.”
To be good-hearted or kind-hearted has nothing to do with wealth. All it requires is the willingness to help others. The world is structured like a ladder. We are not all on the same step; there are people at the lower end while some are up the ladder. Some are even at the middle of the ladder. With the current economic challenges in the country, we should not wait until people around us come for help. Once you are capable to help them, please do so amid the current hardship. Just as Roy Bennett says, “Be the reason someone smiles. Be that reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” This is the definition of good-heartedness.
abdurraheemsaaddembo@gmail.com
