O
ur obsession for squalid living is amazing. The recent outbreak of cholera in some communities which claimed many lives is a compliment to our survival instinct. The death toll could have been worse. Our society is an ocean of filth. But do we have a choice not to live a humdrum life? What is the per capital income of an average Nigerian worker that qualifies him not to eat from the dust-bin, metaphorically. Can one afford to live within per capital income of N18, 000 except one is into shady practices, except one visit run down eateries? How can our people stop patronising foods like roasted plantain and bean cakes popularly known as akara from the road side; foods that are uncovered and exposed to heavy wind, the vagaries and diseases of the atmosphere?
It is often an offensive sight the way food vendors go about their business in our cities. With unwashed hands, it is common to see vegetables and fruits sellers handling food in such a way that the food is easily susceptible to contamination. It is hard to believe that delicate fruits like watermelon, pineapple among others could be peeled, sliced and wheeled around in dirty surroundings and people are seen buying them and health officials are not saying anything as a form of control.
The recent reported case of cholera outbreak in some parts of the country, especially Lagos, is a case in point. Without any known supervision from health officials, for standard, all types of hawkers are seen, even within the radius of dump sites, bush paths, open sewage and gutters, displaying food without any knowledge of hygiene that could be followed in other to reduce the danger such edibles are exposed to. Poor hygiene conditions of roadside eateries also serve as other sources from which cholera could be spread.
These food outlets spread health hazards where customers could easily eat their ways into their untimely deaths. Operators of this type of eateries are mostly mothers who need steady flow of income to sustain the family. On approaching such eateries, it is common to see the food sellers tending to sundry matters, including taking care of their babies. These babies sometimes are seen defecating within the proximal radius of the food environment and the food seller is quick in picking-up the baby and cleaning her up. Not minding that the residue from her hand, after tending to the child, could get into the food as she returns to serve customers who bears suppressed grudge, but looks away pretending not have seen the dilemma of the food seller and the hazard her action could cause.
Every inch of the way along our streets, food is generally seen to be handled poorly. What about water? Yes, pure water, it is being drank by patrons straight from the nylon sachet even when it is very clear that the sack where it is taken from had been pulled through dirty floors and it could have been contaminated. Not far from this spot could be seen an open field where people stoop to defecate. It is not one, two, or only three people you would see doing this. Again members of the public can hardly find public convenience to relive themselves at moments of being pressed by nature.
Absolute state of destitution confronts a people when about one hundred million (World Bank figure) are subjected to this type of horrifying living. Nigerians have little choice about a decent place where they could go and have a meal, based on the fact that persons involved are impecunious and have little option, but needs refreshment nonetheless. And then Government hardly helped matter not coming up with effective laws to ensure health standards are followed where this type of business is done.
The women in this type of business, when you see them, you will understand better their world view and level of poverty. How many of them can generate enough capital to build a stall better than a wood and a plank knocked together to form the shade where they operate from? Can they attract a loan from a bank? Does Nigeria have banks? If the answer is yes, why can the banks not give loans to traders in other to take them away from the squalid life for which our society is now known and despised all over the world?
Something is definitely wrong in a country as this where the banks are instrumental to the pauperisation of the people. How can Nigeria operate a banking system that operates aloof of the responsibilities they are assigned to offer to the people. It is a shame we copy the developed world in everything but apply them in a wrong fashion. Poverty amongst citizens is the same in Europe and the US but the banks there are positioned to always lift the people above levels of peasantry they could have been subjected to, they give loans with reasonable interest rate.
Another strategy used in eradicating poverty and disease is through the provision of social infrastructure. Everyone in government already knows this but nothing is done enough for result to be seen. Pipe born water, standard shops at subsidised rates, schools, public health centers and such other capital intensive projects should be undertaken by Government. People are meant to enjoy this services thereby saving cost if it were to be undertaken by them.
The case of defunct PHCN is already known. Because the money used to buy a generator could have been deployed to better things, not providing this services is the reason people are poor and dying of squalid living and cholera.
Okeke wrote in from Lagos