From Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
A coalition of over 52 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) has sounded the alarm on the escalating insecurity, rising poverty, and moral decay in the country, calling for responsible leadership and collective action to save the nation from total collapse.
In a statement signed by the 52 CSOs, they lamented that across the country, citizens are counting their losses while politicians engage in empty rhetoric, adding that the situation has become so dire that it can no longer be ignored.
The statement highlighted the plight of displaced farmers in Zamfara, who are now forced to live in squalid camps, surviving on meager resources. In Abuja, a teacher is struggling to make ends meet, spending half of her income on transportation, while in Lagos, families are skipping meals to pay rent.
The CSOs noted that despite the country’s record revenues and allocations, federal, state, and local governments seem oblivious to the suffering of the people. “Politics has become Nigeria’s biggest business, even as the country suffers,” the statement read.
The group pointed out that the removal of subsidies, floating of the naira, and increase in public debt have significantly boosted government revenue, with federal budgets in the last two years surpassing ₦100 trillion, exceeding the total of all budgets from 1999 to 2017.
However, the CSOs lamented that despite the huge allocations, nothing seems to have improved, with public services faltering, inequality growing, and ordinary citizens becoming poorer while politicians get richer.
The statement highlighted the alarming rate of insecurity, with killings, abductions, and displacement becoming commonplace, and entire communities across the North and Middle Belt deserted due to insecurity. The CSOs noted that rural banditry has devastated livelihoods, disrupted food supplies, and caused inflation to rise above 15%, with hunger looming over millions of homes.
The group also decried the growing trend of kidnapping, with schoolchildren in Sokoto and commuters in Abuja falling prey to kidnappers, and paying ransom has become a norm. Journalists face harassment, activists face threats, and peaceful protesters are silenced, the CSOs added.
The statement condemned the entrenched graft in the system, with trillion-naira budgets disappearing without tangible results, roads remaining impassable, hospitals empty, and schools in disrepair. Accountability has been replaced by excuses, the CSOs lamented.
The CSOs called for urgent action from the government, demanding economic justice, security, and humanity. They urged the government to convert record revenues into tangible improvements, including social protection, job creation, accessible healthcare, and affordable food.
The group also called for an end to corruption without exception, prosecution of offenders, disclosure of public spending, and restoration of ethics in governance. They demanded that democracy be defended from being hijacked, institutions be depoliticized, and electoral reforms be carried out before 2027.
The CSOs also urged the government to respect dissent, protect journalists and activists, and defend civic space from intimidation. They called for the urgent rebuilding of trust in the judiciary, guaranteeing independence, delivering timely judgments, and making justice accessible to all citizens.
The statement concluded: “Nigerians are paying the price of political excesses. Leadership cannot continue politicking while the nation bleeds. Every Naira of public money must be felt in the life of the ordinary citizen; anything less is betrayal. We stand with every Nigerian facing hunger, insecurity, and hopelessness. We stand for justice, equity, and good governance. The time for excuses is over; Nigeria must choose humanity over politics.”