Economic Hardship Compel Enugu Residents To Gamble

As the present economic hardship in Nigeria continues to bite harder, thousands of residents of Enugu, the capital city of Enugu State have now resorted to gambling such as pools, Loto and other forms of game of chance as means of survival.
Investigation and survey carried out by our correspondent in Enugu and environs reveal that people involved in the act cut across all classes of residents including top government officials/appointees, senior and junior civil servants, traders, students of secondary and higher institutions of learning, as well as a good number of members of security agencies in the state.
Our investigation also revealed that those who are deeply involved in playing Loto are primary school pupils, students of secondary schools, house wives, market women, as well as unemployed youths who are now seen every day in various Loto playing points scattered over all nooks and crannies of Enugu Metropolis including major streets and roads of Enugu capital city.
It is equally, not uncommon these days to see married and unmarried women in pool houses looking for numbers to play.
A good number of students of secondary schools and pupils of primary schools now use their transport and lunch money to play loto which can be played with a minimum of ten naira (10.00), with a view to doubling the amount or winning any amount of money that can fetch them something tangible.
In the same vein, majority of house wives now use part of their feeding money to gamble, all in an attempt to win money to meet financial needs.
A cross section of those who spoke to this reporter on condition of anonymity made it clear that the present economic hardship in the country actually forced them to engage in the act, which they said, had not helped matters.
Those spoken to, unanimously called on the Federal Government to urgently address the economic hardship in the country so as to save the citizenry from further suffering, hunger and starvation pointing out that there is no reason why Nigerians whose country is endowed with both human and mineral resources should be suffering such hardship.
This, they believed, will in no small measure check the present youth restiveness across the country, fingering unemployment as one of the major causes of youth restiveness in Nigeria.
They also implored government at all levels in Nigeria to put back to life thousands of ailing industries in the country as this will no doubt provide employment opportunities for many of the unemployed youths presently roaming streets of major cities across the country in search of non-existing jobs.