As a Nigerian youth, I have been very slow in making any comment on the said Abacha loot. Despite various controversies surrounding it.
Many focused on the alleged statement by the President before his ascension to office, of denying that Gen. Sani Abacha who was his boss at that time, never stole.
Very few focused on how the money when recovered will be channeled.

The federal government on Monday in Abuja announced that $320 million stolen funds by late military dictator, Sani Abacha , would be spent on the “CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER SCHEME” of the administration to support the poor.

Reading this on Monday made my heart bleed. There is absolutely no wisdom in this.
The president some weeks ago caused an uproar amongst Nigerian youths where he branded us as largely lazy, uneducated and always sourcing for free handouts from the government.

Now the government is saying it wants to spend the recovered loot on “CONDITIONAL CASH TRANSFER SCHEME” of the administration to support the poor. Meaning they want to give free cash handouts to the poor.
Is this not encouraging Laziness and illiteracy our President accused the youths of?
Is this not plain hypocrisy?
This is an avenue for some corrupt elements in the government to legally siphone the recovered loot in the guise of “conditional cash transfer scheme”.

There is a popular proverb that says “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach him how to fish and you’ll feed him for life.”
I’m really surprised that this is the most brilliant idea this administration can come up with despite been filled up with very educated and enlightened personalities.

The recovered $320 million can do a whole lot in helping to boost the overall sustainable development of this country.

For a president that travels out of the country so often for medical checkups and who’s son was flown abroad for good medical health care after his bike accident sometime back, $320 million can help revamp our health sector.

For a country plagued by high rate of unemployment, limited developmental opportunities and poor social infrastructures.
The recovered loot can create good industrial development, provide good social infrastructure, improve our educational sector and create more technical schools, help boost SMEs, promote agricultural development, etc.

We the youths and the poorest amongst us don’t need free handouts, we need good social and economic development, steady and constant power supply, good roads, etc. For crying out loud an enabling environment for good sustainable economic, financial and social empowerment.

The present economic and social realities do not encourage hardwork. That’s why many youths turn to various social vices such as internet fraud.

Sharing that fund will only lead to high inflation, economic stagnation, social retrogression and negative sustainable development.

If we continue like this, I’m really afraid for our future generation and the future of this country.
The present realities on ground really paint a very gloomy picture of the future to those who have a sane and critical mind.

I can’t keep silent anymore. I really love my country but most times I’m ashamed of our leaders.

Written by;
Courage. O