A Non- Governmental Organisation in Rivers State, the Ndoki Nation Assembly (NNA), has warned that Nigeria would destroy itself more if it fails to address the challenges of poverty, out of school children, malnutrition, drug problem and insurgencies.
Speaking with The Tide in Port Harcourt recently, President of the Group, Livingstone Okere said no right thinking leader would be happy in the face of the multitude of challenges confronting the nation, hence the need to reverse the trend.
He said that leaders of the country must follow the example of Governor Nyesom Wike by investing in education, people’s welfare and infrastructural development, especially in children in the South- South geo- political zone, noting that the gesture would save the region in particular and Nigeria in general from disintegration and serious calamity.
He maintained that leaders must move away from doing things the old way, which according to him, had produced the same negative results.
Okere also cautioned that the country could continue to rely on quota system and federal character to get jobs for its children at the detriment of the other parts of the nation, who have a comparative advantage over others.
According to him: “when people talk about birthday, they talk about happiness. Recently, a fellow asked if l am happy? I said l am not happy. The fellow became surprised. The truth is that no Nigerian is happy.”
“ You cannot be happy when over ninety percent of the population of Nigeria is poverty- ridden, in a country flowing with milk and honey.”
“ You can’t be happy when millions of Nigerians, especially children are dying of hunger, many are out of school due to lack of funds for academic pursuit. I think Governor Nyesom Wike was able to set the pace by ensuring that children of school age are back in school.”

Bethel Toby