In a family, the breadwinner often bears the cost of providing for everyone. In so doing, he or she is bounded by economic realities. The role of the breadwinner is synonymous to that of the government. The government of any nation is supremely obligated to provide for the citizens as stipulated by law. Government sometimes fail to live up to expectation. At such times, Palliatives, loan, aids, and bailouts (PLAB) are readily employed. In the unwritten principles of PLAB, any governments that employs it for macro economic goals should be ready to jeopardize her sovereignty.
In a revealed secret told by Robert Kiyosaki, in his book titled ‘The Conspiracy of the rich’ he opined that ‘bailouts is used when the rich wants the taxpayers (poor) to pay for their mistakes or fraud’.
In the words of Richard Dowden, he said that ‘aids are handed over to leaders of developing nations as a way of firming the fabrics of exploitation.’
The negating outcomes of PLAB are without a round table sitting consultation bore by the 90% poor masses. On the contrary, only a selected few (politicians and other economic saboteurs) gets to enjoy the largesse.
To the ordinary man on the streets, PLAB is a veritable tool towards poverty alienation. While this seems to be the case in part, it does not apply in whole.
In Nigeria for instance, we’ve had white feather project financed with huge resources yet, the standard of living keeps drifting to the lowest ebb. Since this is the case, it is important to understand the anatomy of PLAB so as to change the existing narrative for the better.
How did we become the PLAB nation? The government is saddled with providing basics such as health care, security, employment and more.
According to Dr Ola Brown, 60% of the Nigerian population is in the informal sector. I.e without traceable source of earning or business. This leaves the government in a dilemma. In other to get the hell out, the government roots for PLAB.
It is often said by economist that ‘there is no free launch in Freetown’. With the provision of a crystal clear lens, one can grandly attributes the failures of the Nigerian state to corruption. Corruption explains why some engineers carry out poor jobs or why anything goes- in the conduct of governance irrespective.
In Nigeria, as is the case with other developing nations, PLAB are often provided by wealthy individuals, institutions and superior countries. The delicateness of their provision is that it always comes with very unhealthy economic clause. Of course, such clauses are often ignored because the underlying reason is always self and not the people. So, when PLAB are received by the government of developing nations, caution is always thrown to the wind.
The Niger Delta people for instance kept clamouring for help from the government which led to the eventual establishment of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Ironically, it is yet to live up to it optimum expectation.
Similar situations have played out in other key sectors. Even so, the government is rather interested in seeking aid than in making judicious use of what is already available. After all, the masses would someday compulsorily pay for the deeds in coded forms such as increased VAT, electricity hike, devaluation, messed up sovereignty and more.
The reasons for the ills in our nation today is hinged on the PLAB recklessly consumed yesterday. There is no free launch in Freetown remember, the borrower of yesterday wants something in return and he has asked for our very own blood.
The government is no messiah. Even so, it is never too late to pay critical attention to details. If we don’t, we will continue to pay with our blood and that of the unborn generation.
– Olayinka Kayode Kingsley
Email: olayinkakayodekingsley@gmail.com
