Highlighting the issues affecting the nation 60 years after independence, a chieftain of the Progressives Congress(APC) in Ekiti State, Olusegun Agbalajobi, said that most of the country’s political leaders only care about their pockets than the welfare of the citizens.
Agbalajobi said that the country has remained in the “vicious cycle of underdevelopment” due to “self-inflicted” problems, as “we are chewing more than what we can bite.”
He added that the salaries of those who hold political offices are more than what their peers in other parts of the world receive, even in countries where their GDP per capita is higher than Nigeria’s.
He asserted that unless there is a change in “the ugly trend” the country will continue to “merry go round the vicious cycle of underdevelopment”.
Agbalajobi said, “It’s sad that Nigeria is still revolving the vicious cycle of underdevelopment despite 60 years of independence. The situation is self-inflicted because we are chewing more than what we can bite.
“Our problem is centered on leadership and systemic failure. Most of our political leaders are selfish in their approach to governance. They only care about their pockets rather than the welfare of the citizens.
“It’s an act of illogicality that the salary of our political office holders are far more than what their contemporaries in other parts of the world, even in first-world nations where per capita income is much higher than that of Nigeria.
“Unless we change the ugly trend where our lawmakers budgeted more money for recurrent expenditure as against capital projects, Nigeria will continue to merry go round the vicious cycle of underdevelopment.”
