Wealth Before Welfare: Nigeria’s Tale of Misplaced Priorities
The quote “when wealth is first, the people are destroyed” suggests that when the pursuit of wealth becomes the primary focus of a society or its leaders, it can lead to the detriment of the general populace. This idea is rooted in the belief that prioritizing material wealth over the well-being of people can result in social and economic inequalities, corruption, and the erosion of moral and ethical values. One nation rich, one nation poor. “ Okpa Aku Eri Eri (The Miser) ,” written by Ude Odilora in 1981, is an Igbo novel that presciently forecasts Nigeria’s trajectory over the years. It delves into Nigeria’s deeply ingrained obsession with accumulating wealth and material possessions, almost to the point of veneration. In the preface, Odilora asserts that desiring wealth and possessions is not inherently wrong, but when it becomes an obsession that overshadows essential values, it leads to tragedy. While hard work is commendable, the relentless pursuit of wealth at the expense of