Contrary to the popular notion that Nigeria is a very rich country, the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Senator Tayo Alasoadura, said considering its population, big landmass with its budget, Nigeria is a very poor country, and cannot be counted as one of the rich countries globally.
The Minister, who said this when the leadership of Labour Correspondents Association of Nigeria (LACAN) paid him a visit in Abuja, said the budget of Nigeria, with its huge population and landmass, is not up to that of London Bureau, a local government.
Unfortunately, he pointed out that the little that is available was stolen by the people who ruled this country in the past.
Alasoadura said, “How do you judge a country with about 200 million people with a large landmass and yet its budget for the year is about 10 per cent of the budget of London Bureau, a local government.
“We are a very poor country and worst of it is that people who ruled this country in this past were also stealing the money that was not enough. People don’t have work not because they don’t want to work because over the years, the private sector is being decimated.”
He regretted that the private sector has been destroyed, while many of the manufacturing factories are being turned to churches saying, “The only thing I don’t agree with is that for us in Nigeria, we pray so much and do so little. Almost every street in the south has a church and almost every day, people have night vigil and yet, Nigeria is getting worse every day.
He however declared that there is nothing too special in being a Minister, hence advising his colleagues to work closely with the workers, with the respect they deserve and should not see themselves as in a master and servants relationship.
