Onyinyechukwu Ede reporting
Veteran Nollywood actress, Hilda Dokubo turned politician, has criticised Nigerian politicians for failing to provide a high standard of living for their people in spite of the country’s enormous oil wealth.
She claimed that the government of Nigeria is mistreating its citizens when it ought to be giving them access to better healthcare and education, just like other nations wealthy from crude oil.
The actor pointed out that although the politicians pretend that the level of hunger and insecurity in the nation is exaggerated, they are aware of the reality and that is why they always travel with a large security detail.
Hilda Dokubo said:
“When the essence of a thing is unknown, abuse is inevitable. And, that is exactly what we are going through right now. Nigerians are being abused.
We are being compared with countries that do not have crude oil, forgetting that some other countries have oil, and their citizens are not paying as much as we are paying (for petrol and diesel).
If the government had given us the quality of life enjoyed by those people they are comparing us with, it would have been okay. In those countries, children from birth to the age of six have access to free healthcare.
They get quality education almost for nothing. They also have policies that work. People can speak freely without being called enemies. But, what do we have here? Is it safe?
“The level of insecurity in Nigeria is shameful. How do we work? What is the state of nightlife in the country? These politicians think their lives are easy, because they travel with 20 bodyguards and police men. Why don’t they travel alone? They won’t do that, because they know that the country is unsafe.
Everyone who does business that thrives at night, just like most entertainers, are not finding the situation funny.”